IN THE NEWS
October 21, 2018
Eight-year incumbent District Court Judge Donald Cureton is being challenged by Paulina Havelka. Cureton, a Democrat, is widely regarded as one of the most qualified judges in Mecklenburg. In an NC Bar Association survey of lawyers, his scores were higher than any other judge on the Mecklenburg ballot. He leads Mecklenburg’s youth treatment court and is level-headed. Even his opponent says she admires his competency and experience.
Havelka, a Republican, is a pleasant person who has run unsuccessfully for office multiple times. She said she decided to run because she saw an opportunity when this Republican-friendly district was drawn. She is a fine lawyer, but Cureton is the superior choice.
N.C.’s First Child Crisis Centers Open in Charlotte and Asheville
August 13, 2018
Judge Donald Cureton works in Mecklenburg County’s youth recovery court and said kids in his court often have mental health needs that the parents can’t manage without the help of state intervention.
“In all of these, we see kids that need immediate intervention to stabilize them,” Cureton said.
The cases he sees are often complicated by factors such as poverty, parental unemployment and substance abuse. He agreed that the ED waiting room is not the place for those kids.
“Any time there is something new that is developed, we are always trying to figure out if it’s going to be beneficial. Until we see it in practice, our position on whether this kind of structure will help remains to be seen,” he said referring to Monarch’s crisis center.
June 20, 2018
Oh, what a tangled web politicians have weaved for the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement and the judicial candidates who filed early.
Filing for judicial offices began yesterday and 124 people registered with the Board. You can find a public list of those candidates here (updated at 11 a.m. today) — but it’s missing a few names. Lawmakers waited until the last minute to pass a judicial redistricting bill — Senate Bill 757, which redistricts Superior Courts in Mecklenburg, Pender and New Hanover counties and District Courts in Wake and Mecklenburg counties — and Gov. Roy Cooper waited until the last minute to veto it — Friday night.
There has not yet been an override vote, so candidate filing began under the current law and districts despite the Board being braced for SB757, and now it appears the affected candidates will have some extra hoops to jump through.
May 03, 2018
Governor Cooper Appoints Judge Donald Cureton, Jr. of Charlotte as a representative of local law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies. Cureton is a District Court Judge in Mecklenburg County specializing in juvenile court matters. He also serves on the Children’s Justice Act and the Disproportionate Minority Contact subcommittees.
Clayton Wilcox, CMS Superintendent sworn in by District Judge Donald Cureton
July 03, 2017
After three months of shadowing, studying and even mowing a school lawn, Clayton Wilcox raised his right hand Monday and became superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. District Judge Donald Cureton, who administered the oath of office, has ties to the district: He graduated from Garinger High and is married to CMS Teacher of the Year Deanna Cureton.
June 30, 2017
Judge Donald Cureton, a District Court judge who presides over many juvenile cases in Mecklenburg County, said he is seeing more teenagers in court for more serious crimes and the person who can make the biggest difference in their life sometimes isn't around.
May 05, 2017
Judge Cureton says discussions are happening to see what more can be done to help parents know the importance of getting an education. "Part of the truancy court program is trying to get them to understand their role in helping that child be successful," Cureton said.
November 22, 2014
Cheers and laughter erupted in the Mecklenburg County Courthouse atrium Saturday morning as parents and their newly adopted children celebrated being together in what they call “forever homes.”
Before meeting with families in the courtroom on Saturday, Judge Cureton called the Adoption Day celebration “a great occasion, to say the least.”
August 23, 2012
Winston-Salem State University alumnus Donald Cureton Jr. is featured on the latest edition of Charlotte’s The Paradigm Beauty & Barber Magazine.
January 13, 2012
On November 8th, 2010, I remember waiting for the election results. I wanted to see if Donald Cureton, my fellow Garinger Wildcat was elected as a Mecklenburg County District Court Judge. If elected, he would be the youngest judge in Mecklenburg County. In the courtroom, he would be introduced as “The Honorable Judge Donald Cureton,” but to me he would still be “Donnie”, one of the coolest cats on campus. He was a star high school basketball player and an intellectual giant in the classroom. In high school, Donnie and I didn’t interact very much but I always respected Donnie because he maintained a balance between academics, athletics, and socializing.