Court records show some of 13 Alamance primary candidates have cases

A review of North Carolina's eCourts database shows varying legal histories among 13 candidates on Alamance County's March 3 primary ballot for countywide offices, including sheriff, clerk of superior court and county commissioners. The review found one candidate with an extensive docket, several with mostly minor traffic entries, and seven with no records in the state system.

Peter Robert Boykin has “the most extensive court record of the 13 primary candidates.” Boykin’s eCourts inventory includes 20 criminal case files, of which 12 stem from speeding citations, and “most of the rest pertain to expired registrations or inspection stickers.” The reporting indicates additional case-level details exist in the public dockets but are not fully reproduced here.

The review grouped six candidates whose names “turn up with varying frequency in both the civil and criminal files of the state’s court system.” By the paper’s account, “by and large, these entries concern minor traffic infractions.” The review notes “a fair number of these roadway peccadillos on file for Republican commissioner candidates Peter Robert Boykin and Jeffrey Lee Throneburg.” Specific counts for Jeffrey Lee Throneburg beyond that characterization were not included in the material available for this report.

Wibernetta Remona Allen, a Democratic contender for the county’s governing board, has two older misdemeanor cases in the public record. Allen was arrested for assault and battery by Burlington’s police department on May 28, 2004, pleaded guilty on June 22, 2004, and received a deferred judgment from a district court judge. Allen also pleaded guilty on May 22, 2008 to passing a worthless check at a Food Lion for an incident in October 2007 and was ordered to pay $56.83 in restitution. The review describes these as “a couple of two-decade-old arrests for misdemeanor offenses.”

The paper was “unable to find any relevant files for seven of this year’s primary candidates.” Among those with “no legal footprint” in the eCourts search are Billy Thomas Clayton II, a retired state trooper running in the Republican sheriff primary, and Stephen Philip McGilv-ray, a retired member of Graham’s municipal police force seeking the GOP nomination for clerk of superior court. The review mentioned Terry Johnson among candidates with entries, but detailed docket information for that candidate was not available in the material provided.

What this means for voters is straightforward. Candidates for county offices influence law enforcement oversight, court administration and county policy. Records in eCourts provide factual context voters can weigh alongside platforms, experience and public statements. Voters who want the full docket-level detail should consult North Carolina's eCourts directly and seek responses from candidates. The March 3 primary will determine party nominees for these countywide posts, and these records are one element voters can use to assess candidates before casting ballots.