On Thursday, January 29, 2026, WCNC reported that Mecklenburg County District Court Judge Ty Hands retired from her position on the bench, effective January 30, 2026, after serving 17 years in the judiciary.
Judge Hands was initially appointed to the District Court bench in 2009 by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue. She was subsequently re-elected to a sixth term in November 2024.
During her tenure, Judge Hands presided over Truancy Court and also served as the Family Treatment Court judge for over five years. She spearheaded initiatives to implement virtual court proceedings during the pandemic, with the goal of addressing domestic violence, criminal, and civil cases more effectively.
Judge Hands also played a significant role in the planning and construction of Mecklenburg County’s Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Center.
Her work extended to training North Carolina judges, magistrates, prosecutors, and clerks on issues related to domestic violence for more than a decade. Additionally, she provided training on topics such as race equity, implicit bias, and vicarious trauma.
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Judge Hands was the first in her family to attend college. She graduated magna cum laude from Winston-Salem State University and obtained her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.
Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Hands clerked for both the North Carolina and Nevada Supreme Courts. She also practiced complex commercial litigation at a Charlotte law firm and later established her own law firm.
Judge Hands has received numerous accolades, including induction into the Negro and Professional Women’s Hall of Fame, and has been recognized as one of Charlotte’s 50 Most Influential Women.
Source: WCNC
