This Superhero Wears a Robe: Chief Judge J.H. Corpening II

An unmistakable glow emanates from the top floor of the Department of Juvenile Justice building in Wilmington, N.C. In Chief Judge J.H. “J.” Corpening’s office, a yellow neon sign illuminates the silhouette of a bat in flight, a fitting emblem for the judge who has spent more than 45 years as a beacon of hope and justice in the community.

Known to many as “Batman,” Judge Corpening has not only championed the cause of children caught in webs of trouble and trauma but has also redefined what it means to serve with compassion and innovation in the courts.

A graduate of Wake Forest University for both his bachelor’s and law degrees, Judge Corpening began his legal career in Wilmington in 1979 and became a judge in 1991.

Over his tenure, he has become the longest-serving judge in the history of New Hanover and Pender county courts and has held the role of chief district court judge for more than 15 years. His groundbreaking work spans family, juvenile, and trauma-informed courts, while his leadership has influenced juvenile justice reform not just in North Carolina but also across the nation. As one colleague remarked, “J. is an inspiration and a transformational leader.”

Much like the caped crusader of Gotham, Judge Corpening has approached his work with a sense of purpose, humility, and teamwork.

“I am different today than when I first went on the bench. It’s because I learned how to read,” he says, referring to his growth in understanding the deeper narratives behind the lives of those who stand before him.

Recognizing that justice cannot be achieved in isolation, he built his own “Justice League” by bringing together stakeholders from both inside and outside the system. With an unwavering belief that a good judge can change the course of a child’s life, Judge Corpening has focused his efforts on four transformative areas: the courthouse, the schoolhouse, the legislature, and the shadowed realm of trauma.

Courthouse

The North Carolina Constitution states that “All courts shall be open . . . and justice shall be administered without favor, denial, or delay” (Article 1, Section 18). Judge Corpening has exemplified this principle throughout his career, revolutionizing the Sixth Judicial District’s approach to justice.

Under his leadership, the district became a model of judicial efficiency, resolving nearly 75 percent of its annual 5,000 felony cases through a streamlined process that allowed low-level, nonviolent felonies to bypass the grand jury and be resolved directly in district court, a forum historically reserved for misdemeanor and traffic offenses. This innovative use of the law not only sped up the judicial process but also correlated with a 43 percent reduction in violent crime over the last two decades. Judge Corpening’s example of providing swifter justice in low-level felonies led to the state’s chief justice mandating that all counties across North Carolina adopt this district court practice.

Beyond efficiency, Judge Corpening’s vision has extended to public safety and resource management. In the early 2000s, New Hanover County officials anticipated the need to expand the local jail’s capacity to 1,000 beds. Thanks to Judge Corpening’s leadership and a focus on alternatives to incarceration, those projections never materialized. The jail population remains roughly the same (about 480 beds) as it was 20 years ago, a testament to his belief that “we fight crime by building community.”

Leadership is tested in times of crisis. In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in 2018, when the courthouse was forced to close for days, Judge Corpening arranged for hearings to be held inside the local detention facility, ensuring no disruption in mandatory first appearances. Sheriff Ed McMahon recalls, “J. opened up court inside our detention facility, and we held court there for a week.” Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Judge Corpening championed the use of video hearings and mobile technology, enabling the courts to function amid unprecedented challenges. His leadership extended statewide as he chaired a task force addressing compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma for justice stakeholders.

Colleagues recognize his impact. As Chief Judge Ted McEntire of western North Carolina notes: “J. has always been a friend, a mentor, an encourager, and someone who challenges every judge to strive to be better today than we were yesterday. J. is an inspiration and a transformational leader in North Carolina. I am thankful to call him my friend, my brother, my fellow judge.”

Schoolhouse

For over a quarter of a century, Judge Corpening began his mornings by opening car doors at the local schools, greeting students with a smile and a kind word — even long after his own children had graduated. To many, it was a simple gesture. To Judge Corpening, it was an opportunity to be a positive presence in the life of a child, knowing that sometimes his smile would be the only one that child saw all day. It also kept him grounded with the community he served.

Judge Corpening’s commitment to local schools, however, has extended far beyond carpool lines. Recognizing the link between education and incarceration — two out of three incarcerated individuals are high school dropouts — he spearheaded initiatives to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. His most notable achievement was the establishment of the School Justice Partnership (SJP), a program designed to address school-based misbehavior through discipline rather than juvenile petitions. This approach allows school officials to handle minor infractions swiftly while reserving court involvement for serious offenses.

New Hanover County School Superintendent Charles Foust noted of the partnership’s impact: “Students were not attaching punishment to the behavior when they appeared in court months later. Now principals can be swift with discipline, and we can save court referrals for violent cases.”

The SJP initiative began with a key collaboration. Judge Corpening reached out to Judge Steve Teske, a pioneer of the program in Clayton County, Georgia, inviting Judge Teske and his team to North Carolina. This partnership cemented North Carolina as a leader in this transformative approach: Juvenile court petitions from school-based referrals dropped by 52 percent in just the first year in Judge Corpening’s district, and the program has since expanded to over half of North Carolina’s counties.

Nor has Judge Corpening ever hesitated to act decisively when public safety was at stake. After an active shooter incident at New Hanover High School in 2022, he oversaw the initial stages of the case involving a 15-year-old suspect and made the difficult decision to transfer the attempted murder charges to Superior Court, which hears felonies alleged to have been committed by adults, ensuring the severity of the crime was met with appropriate judicial scrutiny.

Judge Corpening’s work in schools reflects his belief that justice begins with prevention. By keeping students in school and out of courtrooms, he has demonstrated how collaboration and innovative thinking can change lives and strengthen communities.

The Legislature

Judge Corpening’s influence extends well beyond the courtroom. He has worked tirelessly to advocate for legislative reforms that reshaped the juvenile justice system in North Carolina. For Judge Corpening, the best way to achieve justice was not to let people out of jail — but to prevent them from ever entering it. His unwavering focus on children formed the foundation of his advocacy efforts.

One of his most significant accomplishments was his role in the passage of North Carolina’s “Raise the Age” law, which ended the state’s practice of automatically prosecuting 16- and 17-year-olds as adults — making it one of the last to raise its age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 18. Judge Corpening was the only sitting judge to testify before the legislature on this issue, calling it “the most important three minutes of my career.” His testimony was instrumental in shifting the legislative perspective, ensuring that thousands of young people would be given a second chance.

Judge Corpening’s advocacy did not stop there. He also championed raising the minimum age of juvenile prosecution from six to ten years old, acknowledging that young children lack the capacity to understand the consequences of their actions in the same way as older youth.

Billy Lassiter, deputy secretary for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, praised these efforts: “Judge Corpening has had a major influence in our state on changing juvenile justice policy to better reflect what changes kids’ lives instead of doing them more harm. He has been at the cutting edge of innovation in our juvenile justice system every time.”

Judge Corpening’s legislative work reflects his belief in justice as a tool for prevention and transformation. Through his advocacy, he has not only changed laws but has also reshaped the lives of countless children across North Carolina, giving them the opportunity to thrive outside the shadow of the criminal justice system.

Trauma

“Our scars can destroy us, even after the physical wounds have healed. But if we survive them, they can transform us. They can give us the power to endure, and the strength to fight.” This quote from the 2022 movie The Batman resonates deeply with Judge Corpening’s career-long mission to address the invisible wounds carried by many who come before the court. For decades, he has championed a paradigm shift in the justice system, moving from asking, “What is wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”

Judge Corpening has witnessed the devastating effects of intergenerational trauma. In his courtroom, he has seen not just individuals but entire families — parents, children, and even grandchildren — trapped in cycles of abuse, addiction, poverty, and violence, coming through his courtroom door. He recognized early on that today’s victim often becomes tomorrow’s defendant and that high-crime areas are also high-victim areas. Determined to break these cycles, Judge Corpening became, as he puts it, “a hope dealer.”

His commitment to understanding and addressing trauma led him to interview Dr. Vincent Felitti, the father of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study. The groundbreaking insights shared by Dr. Felitti deepened Judge Corpening’s resolve to make the court system more trauma-informed, emphasizing prevention and intervention over punishment. Inspired by these conversations, Judge Corpening became a key member of the Chief Justice’s Task Force on ACEs-Informed Courts, where he helped develop a benchcard for judges that has been distributed statewide. This resource provides guidance on handling trauma-related cases with care and understanding, further embedding trauma-informed practices into North Carolina’s courts.

Judge Corpening also piloted Safe Babies Courts, inspired by a program he observed in Florida. These courts prioritize reunification by providing intensive oversight and support for families, often cutting the time children spend in foster care in half while increasing the likelihood of reunification with their biological families. In these settings, Judge Corpening frequently interacts with mothers struggling with opioid addiction, meeting with them biweekly to track their progress and encourage them. “I call this group my promise keepers,” he says. “I ask them to stay alive for two more weeks so I can see them and their babies again.” Many of these mothers, with tears in their eyes, greet him at the next session with the words, “I kept my promise.”

During these court sessions, Judge Corpening has been known to leave the bench to sit on a baby blanket with the mothers and babies appearing before him. Much like the interactions he has with children in the carpool lines at school, he has raised his stature by being approachable.

Building on this commitment to supporting families and addressing trauma, Judge Corpening played a pivotal role in the development of the Community Justice Center (CJC) in New Hanover County. Opened in September 2024, CJC serves as a centralized hub for support and rehabilitation services, particularly for victims of domestic and youth violence. Modeled after the Family Justice Center concept, CJC co-locates law enforcement, justice officials, and support services to streamline assistance and create a more accessible environment for victims.

Collaborating with other key stakeholders, Judge Corpening helped shape the center’s mission to be a place of hope, healing, and justice. His expertise in juvenile justice and trauma-informed practices has been instrumental in designing services aimed at preventing and reducing crime. Few people better understand that the same family in crisis might be in three courtrooms — family, civil, and criminal — at any given moment and need the same compassion in every setting.

Judge Corpening’s trauma-informed approach extends to programs like the longstanding Drug Recovery Court in Wilmington. After the program lost state funding in 2012, he fought to keep it operational by securing county support. Recognizing that incarceration was not the answer for many, he expanded the program to include recovery courts for veterans and individuals with mental illness, as well as a county-funded, 200-bed long-term drug treatment facility called the Healing Place.

Through these initiatives, Judge Corpening has demonstrated that scars, both seen and unseen, can indeed become sources of strength and transformation. By addressing trauma with empathy and innovation, he has given countless individuals the tools to endure, to fight, and to rebuild their lives.

Batman

Chief Judge Corpening’s career has been nothing short of heroic. Like Batman, he faces complex challenges with creativity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to justice, knowing that, as the caped crusader says, “it’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” From transforming courtroom processes to advocating for legislative reforms and addressing the root causes of trauma, Judge Corpening has proven that one person can indeed change the trajectory of countless lives.

His actions — whether steering young people away from the criminal justice system, ensuring access to justice during crises, or extending compassion to struggling families — have shown that true strength lies not in punishment, but in understanding and hope. As North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby recently remarked, “Judge Corpening has a heart for his community that has translated into innovative solutions for the people who come before him, especially our children. Few have done more to put good practices into action.”

As a judge and a prosecutor, we as authors had the good fortune to interact with Judge Corpening in different capacities. Beth recalls that when she joined the district court bench in 2002, Judge Corpening had already developed the reputation as the preeminent juvenile judge in the state. He has been her role model and mentor for over 20 years, and he continues to inspire her to be unafraid of challenging the status quo and changing the way that judges interact with children and families. They share a passion for dismantling the stigma of addiction and institutionalizing trauma-informed practices throughout all our courts. He challenges her to never stop learning, never stop seeking better ways to administer justice. He has been her sounding board for new ideas, her coach in navigating bureaucracy, and her cheerleader as she stepped in to judicial leadership both in North Carolina and with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Just as he has done for his courts and his communities, he has made her a better judge and person.

Ben remembers first appearing before Judge Corpening in April 1999, the week after the Columbine tragedy. A case of two young teenagers in North Carolina who were ensnared in a highly public adult trial involving a threat of school violence led him and Judge Corpening to join forces to advocate for the creation of a teen court (a diversionary court for first-time offenders where everyone in the process, except for the presiding judge, is a teenager). Later, they were the only two justice officials to appear before the state legislature to successfully advocate for raising the juvenile age to 18. Their friendship and close working relationship, while maintaining the checks and balances that are inherent in their respective roles, has led them to be far more effective in their individual capacities. They frequently co-present at conferences across the country and have started a podcast together to raise the profile of the trauma-informed practices they have championed together for over 25 years.

As his career draws to a close, Judge Corpening’s legacy is clear: a justice system that is fairer, more compassionate, and deeply attuned to the needs of its people. His work will resonate for generations to come, echoing Batman’s belief that “a hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders to let him know the world hasn’t ended.”

Like the glow of the Batman symbol in his office, Judge Corpening’s legacy will continue to shine as a beacon of hope, reminding us that scars can transform into strength, and justice can be a force for healing and renewal.

---

Beth Dixon is the chief district court judge in Rowan County, North Carolina. She also serves on the board of directors of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and is a frequent speaker on juvenile delinquency and child welfare issues.

Benjamin David served as the elected district attorney for New Hanover and Pender counties in North Carolina from 2004 to 2024. He is currently CEO of the Community Justice Center in Wilmington, N.C.