CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With various issues surrounding Mecklenburg County's court system, state leaders have decided to replace one of the county's top judicial officials.
Elizabeth Trosch, the Mecklenburg County Chief District Court Judge, announced on Tuesday that North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby has decided to replace her on May 1. Roy Wiggins, who holds Seat 12 in Mecklenburg County's court system, will take her position.
Trosch boasted her accomplishments as chief district court judge in a statement to the media on Tuesday. She cited backlog case reduction, the eCourts launch, DWI dispositions, and other case management data matters as points of success in her four years in the position.
However, WCNC Charlotte revealed in March 2023 that the county was suffering major court delays due to understaffing and a backlog of COVID-19 pandemic-era cases. Despite this, Trosch says the county has reduced pending motor vehicle and domestic cases well below pre-pandemic levels.
Furthermore, the October 2023 eCourts launch caused major issues in Mecklenburg County. Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather spoke about the impacts a month after the launch, saying the system made things far from easy.
Mecklenburg County Court officials have also faced concerns over low bonds given to people charged with violent crimes. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, and Merriweather were all outspoken about this issue. North Carolina passed The Pretrial Integrity Act in 2023 to mitigate these issues.
Trosch was appointed as Chief Judge in February 2020, following the retirement of former Chief Judge Regan Miller.
Wiggins has held his District Court Judge seat since 2018.
A request for comment from Newby on the specific reasoning behind his decision to replace Trosch has not been returned.