news-record.com

Office you seek
Reelection as a District Court Judge

Date of birth
June 29, 1967

Occupation
District Court Judge

Address
No. 2 Governmental Plaza
P.O. Box 3008
Greensboro, NC  27402

Web site/e-mail address
www.JudgeBurch.com
Susan.R.Burch@nccourts.org

Education
Wake Forest University School of Law, JD 1995
James A. Webster Property Law Award
Member, Trial Bar
Treasurer, Student Bar Association
Treasurer, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
Editor, Hearsay student newspaper
Wake Forest University, BA Economics 1989 cum laude
Hankins Scholar
Study Abroad in Economics, Institute of European Studies, Freiburg, Germany
Omicron Delta Epsilon, National Economics Honor Society
Delta Phi Alpha, National German Honor Society

Elective experience
Elected as district court judge in 2000.
Re-elected in 2004.

Professional credentials (specialized training or experience)

National Judicial College, Reno, NV, Practical Approaches to Substance Abuse for Judges, 2001

National TASC and NC TASC Training Institute, Engaging and Retaining Drug Court Participants in Treatment, 2006

Federal Department of Transportation and Highway Safety, DWI Specialty Courts, 2007

North Carolina Institute of Government and North Carolina District Court Judges' Association,

Special Topics Seminars attended:

Equitable Distribution of Marital Property

Driving While Impaired Offenses

Child Support

Family
Unmarried
Hazel Burch - mother
William Burch - father
Dr. William Albright Burch, III, - brother
Also a large and beloved extended family

Why have you chosen to run for this office?
I have greatly enjoyed my work as a district court judge. I've developed skill and experience in all areas of our court, especially in handling complex cases and family law, and I seek to continue serving our community in this capacity.

What distinguishes you most from your opponent?
Experience and training. I practiced as an attorney in all areas of district court before taking the bench in 2000 and have worked in all courts as a judge. I have continued with advanced training and now frequently teach continuing education seminars for lawyers and judges. I have also been recognized by Court Watch for excellence in my work in child support cases. 

I helped to establish and have been the presiding Judge for the Guilford County Drug Court program since 2002. I am now also serving as the program director for both the Drug Treatment Court Program and the Mental Health Court Program.

What key qualifications would you bring to the job?

I bring skill in presiding over all types of district court cases, from criminal proceedings to complex domestic litigation. I have experience in managing the workload of our courts and maximizing what we can accomplish with our court time and resources. I have an even temperament and profound respect for all people. I respect and value the work of other court personnel and I believe this helps me to lead a court room that is professional and appropriate and suited to accomplish our work.

Are you qualified to preside in every court or willing to gain the necessary qualifications?
I am qualified to preside over and have experience in every court in the district court division.

Where do you see the greatest shortcomings in District Court, and how could they be corrected?
Our greatest challenge is volume. Each day, more than a thousand cases are addressed in the district court division. Some require minutes to address, some require days and even weeks of intensive court time. We work to manage both the flow of people and the hearing of their cases in the most efficient manner possible. The district court judges have worked with the clerk's office, the district attorney's office and other court agencies to modify court schedules and add new court sessions in our effort to improve the experience of court participants.

Does everyone receive equal justice in District Court, regardless of race, ethnic origin, gender, language, income or legal representation? If not, what measures could help?
I believe that those of us working in the district court division strive to achieve that very goal daily. I know that we are not perfect, but our bench of judges is diverse and that helps counter and remove institutional discrimination in our system. I am personally committed to the principle of equal justice.

Language differences present special problems for us. Although I am able to speak Spanish, all court proceedings must be held in English. We are fortunate to have two certified Spanish language interpreters available every day in district court. For those court participants speaking other languages, the new rules required by the Administrative Office of the Courts have made it more difficult to have qualified interpreters available for the court proceedings.

In criminal matters, is enough done to ensure that dangerous offenders aren't released prior to trial with insufficient supervision?
Our law requires judges to consider a number of factors when determining the conditions of pre-trial release, and the law requires that conditions must be set for all cases except for those of first degree murder.

We are fortunate in our county to have the pre-trial services program. They conduct interviews with jailed defendants and try to verify the information offered by the defendant as to his or her ties to the community. They provide criminal histories and attempt to contact the alleged victims to see if they wish to be heard as part of the hearing to determine the conditions of pre-trial release. With the recent expansion of the pre-trial program, we can now have appropriate defendants monitored by the program. This can include drug testing, treatment referrals, curfew, and regular contacts with the case manager. This information greatly assists judges in weighing the statutory factors and making these pre-trial determinations.

How can the court help steer troubled young people away from gangs or further criminal activity?
Early identification of young people who are "at risk" is a key. Special work is done in our juvenile division to consider and to try to meet the needs of young offenders when entering a sentence or disposition. The court also tries to connect the juvenile and the juvenile's family with resources that will help them address the underlying problems.

We are also paying special attention to substance use and abuse among juveniles. We know education and treatment for adolescents is more effective when it is tailored to their developmental level.

What are common mistakes judges make, and how can you avoid them?
I think one of the most common mistakes we make is to assume that the court participants fully understand what is happening in their case. We must address legal issues and use legal terms and impose legal judgments, but we also have to remember that most people are not familiar with the court system and they need to know what is happening in language that they can understand. I now make it a practice to try to state in plain English what is being done with a case and to ask participants if they have questions about it.

How can voters judge your abilities?
I have almost 8 years of service as a district court judge and I believe my ability can be judged by the quality of the work that I have done. I have received numerous endorsements of my re-election from groups who have taken the time to conduct interviews and review the qualifications of the candidates. I encourage voters to talk to anyone they know who works in the court system or law enforcement and ask for their opinion. These are the folks who see our performance on a daily basis, year in and year out. I also encourage voters to come to court! Come see what happens in our different courts and observe the judges at work. I often speak with observers after the conclusion of all the court cases and I think it benefits us all to have the community take an interest in the work we are doing.