CALL YOUR NEXT CASE
My Stories
Step Behind the Bench
Over a quarter of a century as a Superior Court Judge in Eastern North Carolina, Rusty Duke heard a boundless variety of cases in courtrooms from Gatesville to Goldsboro to Swan Quarter. No two days were the same as he sought to consistently uphold the principles of justice alongside dedicated bailiffs, clerks, lawyers, and jurors. Judge Duke saw all manner of situations, and in his book he captures the spirit, humor, and heartache embedded in the work of a judge, the vocation that he considers both his calling and “the most enjoyable job anyone can hold in the judicial system.”
“Judge Duke’s distinguished twenty-seven-year career as jurist is enough, to be sure, to pique the curiosity of those with an interest in how the process of justice transpires in our courtrooms. But the pearls of wisdom arising from these pages are the reader’s real reward.”
— From Foreword to Call Your Next Case, written by Retired NC Chief Justice Mark Martin.
About Judge Duke
Judge Wilton Russell “Rusty” Duke, Jr. is a native of Farmville, N.C. and a lifelong resident of Pitt County. After receiving his bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degrees at Wake Forest University, Duke worked as a law clerk for Judge John D. Larkins, Jr. and then practiced law for fourteen years before running for his first judgeship in 1988. After two years as a District Court Judge he was elected to the bench of the Superior Court, where he served until his retirement in 2016. Judge Duke and his wife Patsy, who make their home in Greenville, have three children and nine grandchildren. Presently Judge Duke is a lawyer serving of counsel at a local law firm..
Inbox
Email Judge Duke with any questions, comments or concerns here!