Federal Judge Nominee Would Serve District Covering Johnston County

JOHNSTON COUNTY — A federal magistrate judge already serving in the court district that includes Johnston County has been nominated for a lifetime seat on the federal bench.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday the nomination of Brian S. Meyers to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Johnston County is part of the Western Division of the Eastern District, along with Cumberland, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Nash, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne and Wilson counties.

Court proceedings for the division are held in Raleigh and Fayetteville.

Meyers Currently Serves In Raleigh
Meyers has served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina since October 2020. His chambers are in Raleigh.

Before becoming a magistrate judge, Meyers worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District, prosecuting narcotics, public corruption and national security cases.

From 2018 until 2020, he served as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, acting as chief of staff and counsel to then-U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr.

Meyers previously worked at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington as a national security and cybercrime coordinator. He is also a former Marine Corps officer and judge advocate.

Meyers earned his undergraduate degree from Davidson College and his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law.

Nomination Requires Senate Confirmation
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Meyers would move from his current magistrate judge position to a U.S. District Court judgeship.

Federal district judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate and generally serve lifetime appointments.

U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, both Republicans from North Carolina, said they recommended Meyers for the position.

Tillis described Meyers as a highly qualified attorney and said he plans to work with Budd to advance the nomination through the Senate.

Second North Carolina Nominee
Trump also nominated Philip L. Aubart to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Aubart currently serves as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina and is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District’s Violent Crimes Section.

The Middle District serves a separate portion of North Carolina and does not include Johnston County.

Both nominations will require confirmation by the U.S. Senate before the nominees can take seats on the federal bench.