I have been an Assistant District Attorney for 16 years and a lifelong resident of Orange County. I went to Chapel Hill High School, UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University School of Law. I live in Chapel Hill with my wife Stephanie, son Burke and daughter Larkin.

Jeff Nieman (North Carolina 18th Prosecutorial District Attorney, North Carolina, candidate 2022)

Jeff Nieman is a lifelong resident of Orange County. He attended UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University School of Law. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, Stephanie, and their two children.

Jeff Nieman (North Carolina 18th Prosecutorial District Attorney ...

The DA is responsible for setting policy for our two-county district and overseeing the assistant district attorneys (ADAs) and staff. I currently serve as Senior Assistant District Attorney and have undertaken multiple policy initiatives on behalf of the DA’s Office. I also have prosecuted cases of every type of offense from DWI to First Degree Murder over my 16-year career.

Jeff Nieman

Jeff Nieman currently works as a senior assistant district attorney.

Jeff Nieman | The Chatham News + Record

But she is now the longest-serving district attorney in the Triangle. First-time candidate Wiley Nickel earned the Democratic nomination in Wake County on Tuesday, and Orange County DA Jeff Nieman is running unopposed this year after first taking office in 2022.

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About Your District Attorney
About Your District Attorney
The District Attorney for the Eighteenth Prosecutorial District is Jeff Nieman

Prosecutorial District 18

Jeff currently serves as the district attorney for the Eighteenth Prosecutorial District. He first took office in 2022.

Prosecutorial District 18 - North Carolina Conference of District ...

2026 North Carolina General Election

Serves as a senior assistant district attorney and has prosecuted cases ranging from driving while impaired to first-degree murder over a 16-year career.

- Serves as a senior assistant district attorney and has prosecuted cases ranging from driving while impaired to first-degree murder over a 16-year career.

Legal Experience

In Orange County, DA Jeff Nieman has seen a similar trend play out. "By and large, most prosecutors are not just are not going to just ignore a law, let's say, but we can choose to prioritize and deemphasize. And that's something that we've been doing here for some time, and I don't think we're alone," he said.

Marijuana laws: North Carolina prosecutors weigh in on DOJ reclassification of weed as less dangerous drug - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham

He also pointed out that his office has seen a large number of violent crimes tied to illegal marijuana, calling that a concerning side-effect. "I think it's an argument for legalization," Nieman said. "There's a lot of violent crime is cropping up around the illegal marijuana trade, similar to about 100 years ago when there was another drug that was made illegal and a lot of violent crime cropped up around it. And that was alcohol."

I will seek to end racial disparities in the criminal justice system by requiring implicit bias training for all DA staff, data collection to fully recognize disparities that exist and hiring and retaining a diverse staff which better reflects the population we serve.

Give us three goals that are specific, measurable and attainable you would have if elected.: 1) Effectively decriminalize personal use marijuana in our district 2) Expunge every juvenile criminal record eligible in our district under the Second Chance Act 3) Set official policy eliminating the death penalty in the district.

What is your understanding of the responsibilities of the office you seek, and in 100 words or less, why do you believe you’re qualified to fill that role?: The District Attorney is sworn to seek justice, not necessarily convictions. Our next DA should not only bring sufficient experience but also a demonstrated track record of leveraging rehabilitative and alternative approaches to achieve better criminal justice outcomes for all. The DA is responsible for setting policy for our two-county district and overseeing the assistant district attorneys (ADAs) and staff.

Nieman affirmed that a district attorney’s primary duty is to seek justice, not simply to secure convictions. “I never use or let them use the term ‘win’ or ‘loss’ in terms of describing the outcome of a case,” he shared, explaining that this mindset helps maintain focus on seeking fair and just outcomes rather than treating cases as personal victories or defeats.

District Attorney Jeff Nieman Demystifies Prosecution at Carolina Law

I have committed not to seek the death penalty if elected as DA. Ultimately, a jury decides whether to impose the death penalty, but the DA has the discretion to seek or not seek it. If elected, the DA’s Office I run in Chatham and Orange Counties will not seek the death penalty.

Why I will not seek the death penalty as DA – Jeff Nieman for District Attorney

I’m making this decision because the death penalty goes against the values I hold and because of what I’ve learned in my 16 years of experience in the court system. Here’s why I’m against the death penalty:

Said prosecutors can prioritize and place less emphasis on enforcing marijuana laws rather than ignoring them.

Supports legalizing marijuana, citing violent crime associated with the illegal marijuana trade.

Proposes implicit-bias training, collecting data on disparities, and a more diverse district attorney staff to address racial disparities in criminal justice.

Plans to expunge eligible juvenile criminal records under the Second Chance Act.

Advocates for rehabilitative and alternative approaches to criminal cases rather than treating convictions as the sole measure of success.

As district attorney, directs staff not to describe case outcomes as wins or losses.

Opposes the death penalty and pledged that the district attorney's office would not seek it.

- Said prosecutors can prioritize and place less emphasis on enforcing marijuana laws rather than ignoring them.
- Supports legalizing marijuana, citing violent crime associated with the illegal marijuana trade.
- Proposes implicit-bias training, collecting data on disparities, and a more diverse district attorney staff to address racial disparities in criminal justice.
- Plans to expunge eligible juvenile criminal records under the Second Chance Act.
- Advocates for rehabilitative and alternative approaches to criminal cases rather than treating convictions as the sole measure of success.
- As district attorney, directs staff not to describe case outcomes as wins or losses.
- Opposes the death penalty and pledged that the district attorney's office would not seek it.

Public Safety

As of January 5, 2026, Jeff Nieman’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Consumer Protection

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- Said prosecutors can prioritize and place less emphasis on enforcing marijuana laws rather than ignoring them.
- Proposes implicit-bias training, collecting data on disparities, and a more diverse district attorney staff to address racial disparities in criminal justice.
- Plans to expunge eligible juvenile criminal records under the Second Chance Act.
- Advocates for rehabilitative and alternative approaches to criminal cases rather than treating convictions as the sole measure of success.
- As district attorney, directs staff not to describe case outcomes as wins or losses.
- Opposes the death penalty and pledged that the district attorney's office would not seek it.

- Opposes the death penalty and pledged that the district attorney's office would not seek it.

Jeff Nieman is from Greensboro, North Carolina. He has a bachelor 27s degree from the University of North Carolina and a law degree from North Carolina Central University. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, Stephanie, son, Burke, and daughter, Larkin. He attends the United Church of Chapel Hill.

Jeff is a senior assistant district attorney for North Carolina's 18th District. He has worked in the District 18 office since 2006, when he interned there.

Jeff is currently the district attorney for Chatham and Orange counties. He was elected in 2022 and is currently serving his first term. Before his election, he worked as an assistant district attorney for 16 years.

As an Assistant District Attorney for 16 years, Nieman has experience in prosecuting cases and serving the community in Orange County.

Said, "Effectively decriminalize personal use marijuana in our district"

Said, "Expunge every juvenile criminal record eligible in our district under the Second Chance Act"

Wants to eliminate the death penalty in the district.

Said, "As DA, I will make implicit bias training mandatory for all DA staff."

Said, "I will seek to end racial disparities in the criminal justice system by requiring implicit bias training for all DA staff, data collection to fully recognize disparities that exist and hiring and retaining a diverse staff which better reflects the population we serve."

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

- The district attorney prosecutes all criminal cases filed in District and Superior Courts.
- They advise local law enforcement on which cases to pursue and how to collect proper evidence for those cases.
- The district attorney may institute court proceedings on behalf of the State, its agencies, or its citizens in any and all public interest matters. This means they play an important role in keeping the public safe.
The district attorney is elected for a four-year term in partisan elections. 

Prosecutes criminal cases and represents the state in local courts. 