Targeted
from page XI
actions by the guardian per
her estate were taken after
her death and without legal
authority - all of which
should not have legally
happened.
In addition, in February
2014, the N.C. Court of
Appeals ruled that any
orders issued from the
Forsyth Clerk of Court’s
Office that were not prop
erly file-stamped, as
required by state statute,
were legally “invalid.”
The attorney represent
ing the estate, Reginald
Alston, called it a “pattern
and practice,” further alleg
ing that this was one of
several cases actions were
taken without proper legal
designation.
A Forsyth County
judge would later dismiss
the lawsuit, siding with
attorney Thompson’s insis
tence that he did nothing
wrong, was unaware qf the
Clerk Office’s improper
procedure, and as guardian,
he only spent money on
behalf of Ms. Thompson’s
care. But troubling ques
tions remained even after
ruling.
Ms. Tucker, who insists
that her aunt’s estate was
squandered to the point
where even the proper
taxes weren’t paid, told
The Chronicle that she, and
the family members of
other people improperly
designated as mentally
incompetent by the Clerk’s
Office, and assigned to
guardian Bryan Thompson,
are alarmed that there
seems to be no oversight of
the practices of that office.
“I realize that my aunt
was not the only victim of
this, and seems like it’s
almost a business for
them,” Ms. Tucker, told
The Chronicle by phone
Sunday evening from
Washington, “and they
don’t seem to be trying to
rectify any of this accord
ing to the laws that govern
the state.”
“I don’t understand
how they are continuing to
do the same thing, and
nobody’s correcting them,”
Tucker added.
Susan Frye, the elected
Forsyth County Clerk, has
said, “In 2007, it was stan
dard practice of the Forsyth
County Clerk of Superior
Court not to file stamp
Orders that had been pre
pared and executed by rep
resentatives of the
[Forsyth] Clerk of Superior
Court...” going on to say
that this was the ’’under
standing of instructions”
[assistant clerks] had from
“the Administrative Office
of the Court (AOC).”
The Chronicle queried
the A6C about Frye’s
claim, but could never get a
clear confirmation.
Ironically, in legal papers
pertaining to the Mary
Thompson case, Frye orig
inally claimed that the fail
ure to properly file stamp
the orders in her case was
not “standard practice,” but
rather “an inadvertent
error.”
Ms. Tucker further
alleges that key documents
are even now missing in
her aunt’s case, and it is on
appeal after the original
suit Was dismissed. She
also is angered at how Ms.
Thompson was allegedly
isolated in hospice prior to
her death. '
“When you don’t have
interaction, you basically
don’t have anything to live
for,” Ms. Tucker, who is
also a nurse, said of how
her aunt was allegedly
treated.
Tucker says she’s writ
ten the N.C. State Bar
Association with a com
plaint about attorney
Thompson’s alleged
actions regarding her aunt,
but thus far has received no
response.
And with Clerk of
Court Susan Frye being an
elected official, who is up
for re-election in 2018,
Tucker says that’s one of
the main reasons why fam
ilies who have had similar
experiences with Frye’s
office have to come togeth
er.
“We need to bring this
to the public attention
because she’s a representa
tive of the people not work
ing for the people, but
working against us,” Ms.'
Tucker says.
She added that a meet
ing of families is being *
planned to occur within the
next two weeks, most like
ly in Winston-Salem.
Anyone who has had a
similar experience with the
Forsyth Clerk of Court
Office is urged to contact
The Chronicle at
news@ wschronicle .com.
Vickery
from page Al
vowed to do the right
thing, particularly within
our judicial system,” said
Mendez.
Aaron Berlin, a Forsyth
County assistant district
attorney Vickery defeated
in the election, attended the
ceremony. Vickery said the
two remain friends. Walter
Holton Jr., who Vickery
worked for at the Holton
Law Firm, commended
them both for their cam
paigns in his remarks and
the audience gave a round
of applause for Berlin.
“I want to thank you
both for showing the com
munity how a campaign
could be done and how it
should be done,” said
Holton.
District court, or trial
court as it’s also called,
deals with a wide variety of
cases, including criminal
misdemeanors like traffic
violations and family law
cases like divorce, child
support and custody.
“It’s at the district court
It was standing room only at the Forsyth County Hall of Justice swearing in of Carrie Vickery for district
court judge.
where the people of North
Carolina see their court
system,” said Wade Smith,
a prominent Wake County
lawyer who also spoke.
District Court Judge
Denise Hartsfield adminis
tered the oath to Vickery
and offered a few words of
wisdom, too.
“Listen to people
because your ears may be
the only ones who receive
what they’re saying,” she
said.
Viefcery then donned
the robe and addressed the
audience, telling them she
hopes to be a good, humble
and fair judge.
“There’s a lot of expec
tations and I hope I can
meet those and exceed
those ” she said afterward.
‘It is a great deal of respon
sibility and one I take very
seriously.”
i Vickery, a Rutherford
County native, grew up on
a farm and moved to
Winston-Salem in 2000 to
attend high school at UNC
School of the Arts, where
she .played the oboe. She
graduated when she was
16. She earned her under
graduate degree from
Western Carolina
University and her law
degree from Elon
University.
She started work at
Holton Law Firm in 2009
and taught at Forsyth
Technical Community
College from 2010-2015.
She’s been served on the
board of numerous organi
zations including the
Liberty Community
Development Corporation,
Junior League and the
Children’s Museum.
In 2013, she donated a
kidney to Assistant City
Attorney Alan Andrews.
Her act of selflessness won
her numerous awards,
including one from The
Chronicle.
Diverse
from page A1
find transformational solu
tions for the most impor
tant energy, environmental
and economic challenges.”
Regan hails from east
ern North Carolina, and is
an alumnus of N.C. A&T
University in Greensboro.
"Michael Regan has the
environmental background
to know that protecting
state resources is vital to
our state's health and eco
nomic climate," Gov.
Cooper told reporters. "He
also has the government
experience and diplomacy
to understand that working
together is the way to get
things done."
Regan pledged to build
a good working relation
ship with state lawmakers
and industry, as well as the
environmental community,
which hailed his appoint
ment.
However, there are
some Republican legisla
tors who may have prob
lems with Regan’s appoint
ment, given that the
Environmental Defense
Fund and N.C. General
Assembly have clashed in
the past over laws that
freed up many businesses
from environmental regula
tion.
Objections to Regan’s
past stances on environ
mental policy might be
raised when the state
Senate begins its confirma
tion process of Gov.
Cooper’s incoming
appointed Cabinet officers.
“Members of the
Senate will look forward to
reviewing the qualifica
tions of Gov. Cooper’s cab
inet nominees and exercis
ing their constitutional
authority to vet them dur
ing the upcoming long ses
sion,” said Senate President
Pro tern Sen. Phil Berger
[R-Rockingham] in a state
ment.
One Cooper adminis
tration appointee not need
ing Senate approval is
Chief of Staff Kristi Jones,
the first African-American
woman ever to hold that
position in North Carolina
state government. Jones
served in a similar capacity
for many years under
Cooper when he was state
attorney general.
Jones previously seved
under Gov. Jim Hunt as his
executive director of the
North Carolina Initiative
on Race. The Wilson native
is an alum of North
Carolina Central
University, and graduate
the UNC-Chapel Hill
School of Law with her
juris Doctorate.
When Cooper won last
November’s election, Jones
helped to head up his
gubernatorial transition
team.
Photo by Tevin Stinson
Sean Heaney
welcomes the
community to
his new
Domino’s
restaurant
located on
West Fourth
Street during
a ribbon cut
ting ceremony
held last
week.
New Domino’s opens downtown
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Last Friday afternoon, with the help
from Mayor Allen Joines, Sean Heaney
cut the ribbon and opened the doors to his
sixth Domino’s pizza restaurant in the
Winston-Salem Area.
The newest location in the heart of the
city on West Fourth Street is in the Nash
Building near FootHills Brewing. Before
cutting the ribbon, Heaney treated the
community to free pizza, cake and candy
at the new location. Wheq discussing the
newest addition to his franchise, called Tar
Tiger Pizza, Heaney said he felt now was
the perfect time to move downtown.
“I really believe in the downtown
area,” said Heaney. “We wanted to be the
first person here not the last person here,
and the city has been very helpful in that
process.”
Mayor Allen Joines thanked Heaney
and Domino’s executives in attendance for
their investment. He said, “This creates
another piece to the wonderful fabric,
excitement, and energy that is downtown
Winston-Salem.
“Investments like this and others make
downtown the vibrant urban core that we
want it to be.” Joines said.
The new Domino’s is located at 630
West Fourth Street. The restaurant is open
seven days a week 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Hooks
Jones
BUILD MORE
THAN MUSCLE.
All locations. One membership.
Now when you join the Y, you
can visit any YMCA in North
Carolina and Virginia as part of
your membership, as well as the
Gateway YWCA in Winston-Salem.
* More than 16 locations locally
across northwest North Carolina
* More pool arid gym space, as well
as indoor and outdoor water parks
• Hundreds of group exercise classes,
hot yoga, Les Mills GRIT, CrossFit,
and state-of-the-art training centers
with personal training and
boot camps
• Financial Assistance available.
$0
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