Feb. 1, 2023 “Black history is a lifetime. It is not a month. Stop letting other people control the narrative.” – Forum participant Gary Marion Jan. 24, 2023 Perhaps there is no middle way between the stout defenders of Black History Month and Gary Marion's ... Continue Reading →
ELECTION RESULTS 2022
Nov. 8, 2022 The N.C. Board of Elections posts unofficial precinct returns as they are reported. View them here. Below are the unofficial Mecklenburg vote totals for candidates on the Nov. 8 Mecklenburg election ballot, as compiled by the Mecklenburg and N.C. Boards of Elections. Victors are ... Continue Reading →
Caucus endorsements announced in contested primaries
April 14, 2022 The Black Political Caucus on Wednesday announced its endorsements in the contested primaries on the May 17 ballot. Steve Harrison’s report for WFAE is here. The Axios Charlotte report is here. The Observer’s report, posted five days later, is here. ... Continue Reading →
District Attorney candidates square off in primary
March 8, 2022 Time was the elephant in the room. Advocates for both candidates were out in force. All appeared anxious for change in the criminal justice system. The candidates displayed some grace, and some collegiality. Substantive issues were discussed. But there were also two different visions ... Continue Reading →
Candidate Merriweather greeting
Jan. 25, 2022 ... Continue Reading →
Spencer Merriweather
– Page initiated Jan. 25, 2022 Spencer Merriweather has announced that he will file for re-election as District Attorney. Materials on this website 3-8-22 Presentation to Forum 1-25-22 Greetings during Forum meetings Info Facebook Media links ... Continue Reading →
WBTV’s MLK Day Celebration 2022: An excerpt
Jan. 17, 2022 Today's WBTV special report on the day of a COVID-truncated MLK Day celebration focused on the civil rights leader’s impact on Charlotte. The hour-long report is at the WBTV website here. At one point, reporter Dedrick Russell quizzed four African-Americans now in Charlotte ... Continue Reading →
Clients, not court cases: The public defender’s work
July 20, 2021 Kevin Tully, Mecklenburg's chief public defender since 2007, concluded his remarks this morning this way. But in the topsy-turvy world of short attention spans, let us begin with it: “Don’t judge our clients if you can. Keep open minds and try to view my clients this way: "The ... Continue Reading →
Steering justice through Covid waters
June 8, 2021 For decades, Mecklenburg District Attorneys have bemoaned a lack of financial resources to deal with the state's largest court jurisdiction. On top of that, current DA Spencer Merriweather and the system that he administers has had to adjust to the COVID-19 lockdown. Today, even as the ... Continue Reading →
Family Justice Center to focus on victims’ needs, erase the silos
Oct. 2, 2018 Victims of domestic violence need protection, and comfort, but also a lot of help navigating a complicated legal system. That simple notion is behind the proposed CharMeck Family Justice Center. The first year of research and planning is now done, and four people at the Forum Tuesday ... Continue Reading →