Ernie Lee

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- 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. 

Public Safety

Criminal Justice

North Carolina

Legal Experience

Consumer Protection

District Attorney

Buket Urgen

Ernie is the district attorney for Duplin, Jones, Onslow, and Sampson counties. He works at the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Prosecutorial District 5 office, where he has served as district attorney in Onslow County since 2011. He prosecutes serious criminal cases, having tried over 150 first-degree murder cases and eight capital murder trials, and he worked with the department’s Medicaid Investigations Division to secure health care fraud convictions.

Attorney General Josh Stein Announces Two Health Care Fraud ...

Candidate filing opens for 2026 election | Local News | jdnews.com

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

Supports strict enforcement against impaired driving and collaboration with partner agencies to uphold laws and justice.