Courting retirement: Judge Craig steps down from the bench after 20 years

Oct. 1—HIGH POINT — You may be surprised at what you'd find under the robe of Superior Court Judge Joe Craig.

All jokes aside, judicial and otherwise, under Craig's robe you'd find a man who, when he was a lawyer — and despite his obvious affinity for the law — had not realistically envisioned himself someday donning that iconic black robe and presiding over a courtroom.

"Definitely not," said Craig, of High Point, who became a Superior Court judge in 2002. "I had a pretty successful law practice here at the time. I was with a good firm. I wasn't even thinking about becoming a judge."

Twenty years later, though, Craig says his tenure as a Superior Court judge in Guilford County has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of his lengthy law career.

"I've loved doing it," the affable jurist said, "but I feel like it's time to move on to a new chapter."

Craig, 66, retired this week, after two decades on the bench and four years as the county's senior resident Superior Court judge. Friday was his last day.

"When I took the job in 2002, my predecessor, Rick Greeson, told me, 'When it comes time to retire, you'll know,' " Craig recalled. "And he was right. I've just kind of felt it in my bones, that this is a good time to hang it up. I wanted to go out on top of my game, and I've got a lot of other things I want to do — I have so many outside interests."

Those outside interests include fishing, painting, traveling and spending more time with family.

Craig, who grew up in High Point, had been practicing civil law with Fisher, Clinard and Craig for 20 years when Greeson confided that he would be retiring soon and hoped Craig might consider submitting his name as a potential appointee. After getting the blessing of his wife, Kari, Craig did just that, and Gov. Mike Easley appointed him. He was sworn in on Feb. 26, 2002.

Craig was honored to serve in such a distinguished role, but it took some getting used to. Early on, he remembers the day a bailiff was escorting him to a courtroom at the Greensboro courthouse, and passersby kept greeting him as "judge" or "your honor."

Finally, Craig turned to the bailiff and asked, "How do these people know I'm a judge?"

"Well, sir," the amused bailiff replied, "it could have something to do with that black robe you're wearing."

Following his appointment, Craig had to run for election to a full eight-year term that November, and for reelection in 2010 and 2018, but he always ran unopposed.

During his 20 years on the bench, Craig has presided over countless criminal and civil cases, from high-profile murder trials to messy malpractice suits and complex business disputes. Some cases, however, were obviously more memorable than others.

Craig made headlines in 2007, when he overturned a High Point jury's first-degree murder conviction of a babysitter who was accused of killing a 3-year-old child in her care. The judge dismissed the case after determining there was insufficient evidence against the babysitter. The controversial decision was upheld on appeal, vindicating Craig for what he described as "the toughest call I've ever had to make in my career."

"I don't think I could sleep at night if a person was sent away for the rest of their life on what I thought was very scant evidence," he said.

"I felt (overturning the verdict) was the right thing to do. I never made any decision based on political considerations or public opinion. I always based it on 'What does the law tell me to do — what's the right thing to do, even if it's not popular?' And I think that's served me well in my career."

Craig said there were low moments during his tenure as senior resident Superior Court judge, such as having to contend with three flooding incidents at the High Point courthouse.

"We would get one leak fixed, and another one would spring up," he said. "I felt like the little Dutch boy trying to plug his finger in the dike."

He also had to navigate problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic and cope with the unexpected death of longtime friend and colleague Tom Jarrell, who was the county's chief District Court judge and who Craig had assumed would succeed him when he retired.

Overall, though, Craig said, serving as a Superior Court judge has been an honor, and he hopes he'll be remembered as a judge who listened carefully, tried to do the right thing, and treated everyone in his courtroom with kindness and respect.

"My mama always told me to be nice to people, so I've tried to do that, even when they don't deserve me being nice to them," he said. "I've tried to treat people with respect."

Which, frankly, sounds just like the kind of person you would hope to find under a judge's robe.

jtomlin@hpenews.com — 336-888-3579