Newby elevates two to chief District Court judge

Two new chief District Court judges have been appointed by state Chief Justice Paul Newby.

Judge Donna Forga has been named chief District Court judge for the 43rd Judicial District, which is composed of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, a North Carolina Judicial Branch news release says.

Forga earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and her law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Before being elected to the District Court bench in 2010, she was in private practice and later served as a staff attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina.

Forga replaces Judge Roy Wijewickrama, who was appointed a Superior Court judge by Gov. Roy Cooper.

In eastern North Carolina, Judge W. Curtis Stackhouse has been appointed chief District Court judge for the 9th Judicial District, which covers Greene, Lenoir, and Wayne counties.

Stackhouse earned his undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and his Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law, the release says.

After graduating from law school, he served as an assistant district attorney in the 9th Prosecutorial District and was elected to the District Court bench in 2016.

He will replace Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Heath, who is retiring.

Forga and Stackhouse’s appointments were effective Thursday.