WS Chronicle

Winston-Salem native Whit Davis proudly announces his candidacy for District Court judge in the Forsyth County 2020 elections. Davis, a lifelong Democrat, will run for the open seat held by retiring Judge Laurie Hutchins.

Davis has worked as an assistant public defender in Forsyth County for the last six years, representing indigent criminal defendants in District and Superior Courts. “It has been my honor to serve this community as an assistant public defender, but I feel a calling to continue my commitment to justice and fairness by serving more members of our community as a judge, if I’m entrusted with the faith of the voters of Forsyth County,” Davis says of his desire to transition to being a judge.

Davis was born and raised in Winston-Salem. After graduating from R. J. Reynolds High School, Davis earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University. He later attended Tulane University Law School. After graduating from law school, Davis chose to return to his hometown to begin his legal career. Davis will bring to the bench a unique understanding of the challenges facing many of the people that appear in District Court, whether they are plaintiffs, defendants, or prosecuting witnesses.

Davis’ commitment to public service extends to a number of volunteer endeavors as well, including serving on the board of directors for Parenting Path, formerly known as Exchange/SCAN, a non-profit dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect in our community. “More resources need to be focused on preventing harm coming to children in the first place,” he says. “If we can show new parents how to better care for their newborns and intervene with at-risk families to provide counseling and support,” Davis says, we can both better protect children from harm and keep people from becoming defendants in the criminal justice system. “That protects the whole community and saves community resources in the long run,” he says.

For more information, visit www.whitdavisforjudge.com.