Glenn Gerding in North Carolina Want to Establish 'Elder Court'

Chapel Hill, N.C. USA

Two local lawyers have filed to run for a seat being vacated by District Court Judge Patricia Devine in District 15B which comprises Orange and Chatham counties.

Glenn Gerding, a criminal defense lawyer from Chapel Hill, wants to create an Elder Protection Court, following the lead of Chief District Court Judge Joe Buckner who has created a series of specialty courts for cases involving issues such as domestic violence, family breakdown, mental illness and substance abuse.

Gerding was a Naval JAG lawyer from 1996 to 2002, an assistant public defender in Orange County from 2003 to 2005 and has been in private practice since 2005.

Page Vernon, a Chatham County attorney focusing on family issues for the past 27 years, wants to establish a new Family Court "to more comprehensively address all issues facing families in crisis."

Vernon has worked as an assistant district attorney in Orange and Chatham counties, and as trial lawyer in Pittsboro on cases of juvenile delinquency, child abuse, domestic violence, divorce, child support and child custody. She has taught at UNC and Duke law schools and worked as a guardian ad litem, advocating for abused and neglected children.