Meck County DA’s Race in the Spotlight

CHARLOTTE, NC — The district attorney’s race is not usually a focus for voters. But controversies surrounding law enforcement, and the criminal justice system, have put the Mecklenburg County DA battle in the spotlight.

I talked with both candidates about what needs to be done.

“Our criminal justice system is under a lot of scrutiny at this point, for a lot of different reasons,” says Mecklenburg County district attorney Spencer Merriweather.

Merriweather knows there’s a focus on the criminal justice system.

“People want to make sure they live in a community that’s safe,” Merriweather says. “They want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly in our justice system. And it’s the reason why I committed to this work.”

“I’ve seen the system, you know, all the way around,” says Toussaint Romain. “And I realize that the system is broken. Not just from one angle, but from a lot of angles. And the DA’s office is an office in particular that can really fix this broken system.”

Former public defender Romain is running against Merriweather.

Romain spent a decade in that role, gaining attention on the front lines during the protests and riots in Charlotte following the deadly officer-involved shooting of Keith Scott in 2016.

The experience spurred him to run for office, pushing for reform.

“Really addressing violent crime,” says Romain. “Focusing on that, but then de-prioritizing mental health issues and drug addictions. And giving those folks the help that they need. So we have a lot of things that we can do here that, quite honestly, are not being done.”

Merriweather is a career prosecutor, appointed to serve the remainder of former DA Andrew Murray’s term. He feels the DA’s office needs to address issues around justice equality, and form a deeper connection to the community.

“There’s no reason why the district attorney shouldn’t be spending some time in every child’s school,” says Merriweather. “Shouldn’t be spending some time in our hospitals, trying improve the link between our mental health institutions and our criminal justice system. These are things that I’ve already begun work on, and things that I want to continue over the next four years.”

Merriweather and Romain are both running as Democrats.

Early voting runs through 1:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Polls are open next Tuesday, from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.