He has spent his entire career in the U.S. justice system, and has been involved in almost every court case imaginable - from prosecution in a capital murder trial to the defense of a vegetable.
John Horne Jr. is a district court judge for North Carolina District 16A, serving Scotland and Hoke Counties, but he hasn't always been a judge. He spent 35 years as a criminal lawyer in Laurinburg, N.C., a town of about 30,000. He has served as both defense and prosecutor, in both criminal and civil court. When asked about his most memorable court cases, they range from DUI to capital murder to a court case involving a collard green. A collard green?
"One day I came into work and found out a colleague of mine was at home sick. They sent me to a little town called Maxton in Robeson County. The town had an annual collard green festival. This particular year, the mayor was dressed up as a collard - and got into a fight with a high school dance teacher. I helped with the prosecution."
Local newspapers dubbed it the "Collard Queen Case."
Horne's court cases were usually more serious than this, however. He spent most of his time in criminal court as a defense attorney. Here, he was involved in three capital murder cases and hundreds of others, such as kidnapping, peeping tom, rape, and assault. In civil court, he once won a case involving over $2 million. Looking back on his long and successful career, it is hard to imagine that Horne was unsure of what to do coming out of college.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in political science, Horne wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do. He decided on law school, however, based on the results of an aptitude test he took coming out of high school.
"I had an 'aptitude' for this profession," laughs Horne as he reflects on how he chose his career. Fast forward 38 years, and it becomes clear that his spontaneous decision was the right one.
In 2007, he was appointed as a district court judge by then-Gov. Mike Easley. Since then, he has been re-elected once and plans to run again in the next general election. The transition from attorney to judge went smoothly, Horne said, and has allowed him to spend more time with his loved ones. Even at the end of his career as an attorney, his work week averaged 55 hours and unpredictable. As a judge, he spends about 40 hours a week on the job.
The best part, however, is the stress relieved from not having to head a law firm anymore. "I don't have to worry about running a business," Horne explains. "Being a judge is a completely different experience, but I have really enjoyed it thus far."
In his long career serving the U.S. legal system, Horne's favorite part of his job is having the opportunity to help somebody.
"The most rewarding part is when you've helped somebody, and a lot of things you do aren't necessarily legal problems. I've made life-long friends in my profession, and they often call me when they're simply unsure of what to do - for example, when a relative dies."
Horne has spent his lifetime helping people and fighting crime. He has seen more than the average person even hears about in the news, and his experience is evident in the stories he shares. He shows no sign of slowing down, which is good news for the people of North Carolina. And if there happens to be another "Collard Queen" case, maybe this time he will be serving behind the bench as a judge.
John Horne Jr. is a district court judge for North Carolina District 16A, serving Scotland and Hoke Counties, but he hasn't always been a judge. He spent 35 years as a criminal lawyer in Laurinburg, N.C., a town of about 30,000. He has served as both defense and prosecutor, in both criminal and civil court. When asked about his most memorable court cases, they range from DUI to capital murder to a court case involving a collard green. A collard green?
"One day I came into work and found out a colleague of mine was at home sick. They sent me to a little town called Maxton in Robeson County. The town had an annual collard green festival. This particular year, the mayor was dressed up as a collard - and got into a fight with a high school dance teacher. I helped with the prosecution."
Local newspapers dubbed it the "Collard Queen Case."
Horne's court cases were usually more serious than this, however. He spent most of his time in criminal court as a defense attorney. Here, he was involved in three capital murder cases and hundreds of others, such as kidnapping, peeping tom, rape, and assault. In civil court, he once won a case involving over $2 million. Looking back on his long and successful career, it is hard to imagine that Horne was unsure of what to do coming out of college.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in political science, Horne wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do. He decided on law school, however, based on the results of an aptitude test he took coming out of high school.
"I had an 'aptitude' for this profession," laughs Horne as he reflects on how he chose his career. Fast forward 38 years, and it becomes clear that his spontaneous decision was the right one.
In 2007, he was appointed as a district court judge by then-Gov. Mike Easley. Since then, he has been re-elected once and plans to run again in the next general election. The transition from attorney to judge went smoothly, Horne said, and has allowed him to spend more time with his loved ones. Even at the end of his career as an attorney, his work week averaged 55 hours and unpredictable. As a judge, he spends about 40 hours a week on the job.
The best part, however, is the stress relieved from not having to head a law firm anymore. "I don't have to worry about running a business," Horne explains. "Being a judge is a completely different experience, but I have really enjoyed it thus far."
In his long career serving the U.S. legal system, Horne's favorite part of his job is having the opportunity to help somebody.
"The most rewarding part is when you've helped somebody, and a lot of things you do aren't necessarily legal problems. I've made life-long friends in my profession, and they often call me when they're simply unsure of what to do - for example, when a relative dies."
Horne has spent his lifetime helping people and fighting crime. He has seen more than the average person even hears about in the news, and his experience is evident in the stories he shares. He shows no sign of slowing down, which is good news for the people of North Carolina. And if there happens to be another "Collard Queen" case, maybe this time he will be serving behind the bench as a judge.
