Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith

- District Court judges hear civil, criminal, and juvenile cases. Civil cases dealing with divorce, child custody, and child support are heard in District Court. 
- Under the District Court, the magistrate can try small claims cases ($10,000 or less), landlord eviction cases, and suits for recovery of personal property. A magistrate is an independent judicial officer, recognized by the North Carolina Constitution as an officer of the district court. 
- District Court Judges are elected for a four-year term. Elections are partisan. 

Judge who handles majority of trial level cases.

Criminal Justice

Property Rights

North Carolina

Legal Experience

Judicial Administration

Judicial Philosophy

Ethics & Conduct

Community Involvement

District Court Judge

Buket Urgen

Susan is from Weaverville, North Carolina. She attended Duke University. She has a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a Juris Doctor degree in law from Wake Forest University School of Law.

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Susan is a District Court judge. She works at the Buncombe County District Court, where she has served since her appointment to the bench in 2012. She previously practiced law in private practice for 20 years, including mediation, and served as the primary hearing clerk for the Buncombe County Clerk of Superior Court.

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Susan ‘Smitty’ Dotson-Smith is currently a District Court judge representing the 28th Judicial District (Buncombe County). She was appointed to the bench in 2012 and subsequently elected to four-year terms in 2014 and 2018.

As the primary hearing clerk for the Clerk of Superior Court since 2011, Dotson-Smith has 20 years of experience in private practice, including mediation.

As of January 5, 2026, Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith’s website did not contain information on this issue.