County attorney to be new Superior Court judge

Kara Fohner, Gaston Gazette
Updated ·2 min read

Gaston County attorney Bill Stetzer was appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly to serve an eight-year term as a Superior Court judge for the Fifth Judicial Division, which includes Gaston County.

Gaston County attorney Bill Stetzer will be a Superior Court judge starting in January.
Gaston County attorney Bill Stetzer will be a Superior Court judge starting in January.

Stetzer, who has served as Gaston County's attorney for nearly two years, said in an interview that he is looking forward to the opportunity.

"Serving as Gaston County attorney has been a wonderful experience, but I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be back in the courtroom," Stetzer said. "Courtrooms across the state are filled with people who put their faith in our system of justice.  I’m honored to be able to serve as a judge and try to demonstrate that their faith is justified."

Stetzer said that in 2014, he previously sought an appointment from Gov. Pat McCrory, but he wasn't appointed at that time. This time, he said, he hadn't been seeking the appointment.

"It sort of came out of the blue. I was delighted to be appointed, but it wasn't something I was seeking," he said.

Stetzer's last day with the county is Dec. 31.

In a meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Commissioners hired Mount Holly resident John Joye as its next county attorney. Joye works currently as a senior assistant city attorney for aviation for the city of Charlotte. He spent five years working as the city attorney for the city of Wilmington before that, including helping that city in the recovery from Hurricane Florence.

John Joye, pictured with his wife, Judy, will be Gaston County's new county attorney.
John Joye, pictured with his wife, Judy, will be Gaston County's new county attorney.

Joye earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has more than two decades of local government experience. Last year, he served as president of the North Carolina Association of Municipal Attorneys, and he remains on the leadership team.

"I'm excited. I've been in local government the vast majority of my 26 years," Joye said in an interview.

Joye will begin his role with Gaston County on Jan. 29, 2024. In the month between Stetzer’s departure and Joye’s start date, deputy county attorney Courtney Rogers will serve as interim county attorney.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: County attorney to be new Superior Court judge