Two Candidates Are Running For Rowan County District Attorney in 2022

Two candidates are running for Rowan County District Attorney in 2022. Each is running on the Republican primary ballot. The primary winner will then run unopposed in the general election. If you’re interested in learning more about the candidates and what they have to offer, there’s an upcoming Candidate Forum on April 28. The forum is sponsored by Women for Community Justice, Rowan Concerned Citizens, Salisbury Indivisible, and Mission House.

Cynthia G. Dry

Cynthia G. Dry, a longtime Rowan County child protective services attorney and former assistant district attorney, is running for the seat of Chief District Court Judge Charlie Brown. A former Child Protective Services attorney, Dry has over 26 years of public interest experience. In her campaign, Dry is asking for your support and votes in this race. She will be the third female District Attorney to be elected to the Berkshire County bench.

Brandy Cook

Rowan County District Attorney Brandy Cook defeated former Assistant District Attorney Paxton Butler in Tuesday’s election and is expected to win re-election for a fourth term. She became the first woman elected to this position in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2018. Paxton Butler worked as an assistant district attorney in Rowan County from 2008 to 2021. He left the office last year after becoming frustrated with the high rate of turnover in his office.

The three defendants are former town officials. The three were arrested in February after an investigation launched by Rowan County District Attorney Brandy Cook. The investigation revealed that the three embezzled more than $1 million from the town. The three officials are now facing multiple charges. The investigation will continue, and the three men are likely to face trial. In the meantime, they will face federal charges. Cook plans to ask for the death penalty.

Paxton Butler

Paxton Butler, Rowan County’s new district attorney, is a native of eastern Tennessee. He fell in love with the town while attending Salisbury University, and later met his wife, a Rowan County native. Butler’s wife has family in the county, so he returned there after graduating. Before becoming a district attorney, Butler worked as a volunteer public defender. He praised Rowan County’s “proactive approach” to child sex cases, and credits his office’s increased prosecution of such crimes.

As a former district attorney, Butler has focused on achieving a high conviction rate for violent crimes. His conviction rate in violent cases has increased to 91% over the past decade. In Cook’s office, Butler has worked on several jury trials. Butler was previously a criminal defense attorney and has successfully prosecuted thousands of cases. His success as district attorney sparked a COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina.

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office wants to bring awareness to this problem. Domestic violence is a systematic pattern of abuse between intimate partners. During the relationship, an offender uses coercion, threats, manipulation, economic abuse, and social isolation to control the victim. In some cases, children are used as weapons. One in three women has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime.

Rowan County District Attorney Brandy Cook took action to combat domestic violence by prioritizing it as a criminal offense. Previously, these cases were intermingled with other crimes. To address this problem, the office has created a domestic violence court and a specialized team of prosecutors and victim service coordinators. The office works closely with the Family Crisis Council of Rowan County. In addition, the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office also partners with the Family Crisis Council of Rowan County.

Role of partners in child abuse prevention

When a child is abused, several agencies work together to help prevent that abuse. The Rowan County District Attorney’s Office is among these agencies. The Rowan County Task Force on Child Abuse Prevention was formed in 1997, and Bill Kenerly was a member of the initial 25 members. This protocol clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the various agencies. In preventing child abuse, it is important to recognize and report cases of child abuse or neglect.

To raise awareness of child abuse, Rowan County District Attorney Andy Beshear and the District Court are joining forces to plant pinwheels, which represent childhood, during Child Prevention Month this April. As part of this awareness initiative, the DCPA has participated in various activities, including a “Wear Blue Day” and a social media campaign called “Plant a Pinwheel Garden.”