RALEIGH, NC -- On Aug 2nd, Governor Roy Cooper announced two appointments to the North Carolina District Court.

“Both of these appointees bring a wealth of legal experience to the bench and will make excellent judges in their respective districts,” said Governor Cooper. “I’m grateful for their dedication to the people of North Carolina and their willingness to serve our state in these new roles.”

B. Ashley Andrews has been appointed to serve as District Court Judge in Judicial District 27, serving Rowan County. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge R. Marshall Bickett. Andrews is the owner of B. Ashley Andrews, Attorney at Law, PLLC and serves as privately assigned counsel for Indigent Defense Services. Andrews received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Juris Doctorate from the Elon University School of Law.

Kristy L. Parton has been appointed to serve as District Court Judge in Judicial District 43, serving Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. She will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Tessa Sellers to the Superior Court. Parton currently works as a solo practitioner at her own practice, Kristy L. Parton, Attorney at Law. She also serves as a guardian ad litem for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Family Safety Court, as a guardian ad litem attorney advocate in Jackson County and as an attorney for the Swain County Department of Social Services. Previously, she served as a court-appointed family financial mediator. Parton received Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law.