Politics

Newman, appointed D.A., promises more active court role

By Bill Moss, Published: July 12, 2013

Greg Newman, a veteran Hendersonville defense attorney and former Hendersonville mayor who had served as a prosecutor in Ohio and Kentucky, has been appointed district attorney for the judicial district made up of Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties.

Newman was sworn in on Friday and will take the oath in a formal ceremony on July 23 at the Henderson County Courthouse on Grove Street. Newman replaces Doug Pearson, who had been serving as interim district attorney since Gov. Pat McCrory appointed Jeff Hunt to a special Superior Court judgeship in May.
"Gov. McCrory and I were acquainted. We met one another when we both served as mayor," Newman said. "I was asked would I put my name in, and you don't want to turn down the governor so I said, sure. It's an honor to be selected and I'm looking forward to serving."
Newman said one difference court watchers may see is that he will be more active in prosecuting cases himself, something Hunt rarely did in recent year.
"I expect I'm going to be more active in terms of trying cases," Newman said. "Every D.A. has to handle that part of the job differently and in some districts it won't work but I think this district is very conducive to being involved in the Superior Court cases."
Newman served an assistant prosecutor for five years in Ohio and five years in Tennessee before moving to Hendersonville as a lawyer in general practice. He served as Hendersonville mayor from 2005 to 2009 and ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the 11th Congressional District in 2010.