Mario White Appointed As Chief District Court Judge For New District 5A

RALEIGH — Chief Justice Paul Newby has appointed the Honorable Mario White to serve as chief district court judge for the newly created District 5A, which consists of Duplin, Jones, and Sampson counties. The appointment is effective January 1, 2027.

The appointment follows the division of District Court District 5 into two districts under the state budget. Beginning January 1, District 5A will serve Duplin, Jones, and Sampson counties, while newly created District 5B will consist of Onslow County. The budget provides for an existing district court judge position in District 5 to be elevated to chief district court judge as part of the split.

“Judge White’s experience as both a practicing attorney and district court judge, along with his knowledge of the communities he serves, make him well suited to provide leadership for the newly established District 5A,” said Chief Justice Paul Newby. “I am confident he will continue to uphold the judiciary’s constitutional responsibility to provide justice without favor, denial, or delay.”

White was appointed to the District Court in 2020 and has served the counties that comprised the former District 4, including Duplin, Jones, Onslow, and Sampson. Before joining the bench, White was a solo practitioner at the Mario M. White Law Office in Clinton, where he practiced beginning in 1993. He also taught criminal law, criminal procedure, constitutional law, and business law at Sampson Community College from 1994 to 1998.

White earned his Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina Central University and his Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers.