Replies

Hardin and Stephens ... interesting.

(no links)

NCCU LAW SCHOOL
Smooth talking
Herald-Sun, The (Durham, NC)
February 18, 2000
Estimated printed pages: 1

A team of N.C. Central University law students that won a regional mock trial competition last weekend got some good pointers from Brian Wilks and Dawn Baxton, bboth assistant public defenders in Durham. Still, the students, who now go into national competition next month in Dallas, faced a make-or-break contest that could only be won with plenty of self-motivated preparation.

The students went into the regional competition, which was at NCCU, knowing they would be evaluated on numerous points, not the least being professionalism. As Superior Court Judge Ron Stephens said, "The overall quality was excellent."

(snip)

//

New lawyers join prosecution, public defender's office in Durham
Herald-Sun, The (Durham, NC)
January 4, 1997
Author: JOHN STEVENSON The Herald-Sun
Estimated printed pages: 2

Reflecting the continuing explosion in Durham County's judicial workload, both the district attorney's office and the public defender's office started the new year with an additional lawyer.

(snip)

The new staff members, sworn in Thursday morning, are Assistant District Attorney Michael DeFranco and Assistant Public Defender Brian Clifford Wilks.

(snip)

Wilks got a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of South Carolina in 1993 and a law degree from N.C. Central University last year.

(snip)

District Attorney Jim Hardin Jr. said the help was needed in a Durham court system that handles about 50,000 cases a year. In the Superior Court criminal division alone, the number of pending cases as of Thursday was about 1,470 -- up 300 from the same time a year ago.

(snip)