Justice Advisory Council

About

The Justice Advisory Council (JAC), commissioned by the Board of County Commissioners in May 2016, is an appointed body of elected and senior legal system leaders and stakeholders that includes participants from the court system, the sheriff's office and police departments, social services, the school districts, county commissioners, and more. 

The JAC convenes on a regular basis to coordinate systematic responses to legal system issues in Orange County. The JAC coordinates, informs, and enhances CJRD's work and is aligned with best practices for the administration of an effective, innovative, and equitable criminal legal system.

The JAC’s goals include:

  • Creating systematic responses to specific problems
  • Reducing the duplication of efforts or conflicting efforts
  • Informing and improving the allocation of limited resources
  • Increasing the communication, cooperation, and coordination between stakeholders
  • Ensuring the sharing of information and data between stakeholders
  • Improving the quality of services and programs by implementing best practices
  • Enhancing accountability and transparency

The JAC is advisory in nature and does not have authority over any public or private entity but does report to the Orange County Board of Commissioners.

Meetings

The Justice Advisory Council meets quarterly, and meetings are open to the public. The 2026 meetings are scheduled for the following dates at 12:30 pm:

  • 2/27/2026
  • 5/29/2026
  • 8/28/2026
  • 11/13/2026

Agendas and links to join are available on the County's public meeting calendar

2026 Appointed Members

  • Position 1: Senior Resident Superior Court Judge R. Allen Baddour, Jr.
  • Position 2: Chief District Court Judge Samantha Cabe
  • Position 3: District Attorney Jeffrey Nieman
  • Position 4: Public Defender Woodrena Baker-Harrell
  • Position 5: Clerk of Superior Court Mark Kleinschmidt
  • Position 6: Sheriff Charles S. Blackwood
  • Position 7: Chapel Hill Chief of Police Celisa Lehew
  • Position 8: Carrboro Chief of Police Chris Atack
  • Position 9: Hillsborough Chief of Police Jason Winn
  • Position 10: Chief Magistrate Jennifer Hodgson
  • Position 11: Department of Social Services Director Lindsey Shewmaker
  • Position 12: Health Department Director Quintana Stewart
  • Position 13: Alliance Health Vice President Ann Oshel
  • Position 14: Child Support Services Director Erica Bryant
  • Position 15: Bishop Victor Glover
  • Position 16: Chief of Probation Sholonda Kelly
  • Position 17: Chapel Hill Police Department Crisis Counselor Troy Manns
  • Position 18: Local Reentry Council Case Manager Tiffany Bullard
  • Position 19: Chief Court Counselor Amanda Farris
  • Position 20: Orange County School System Director of Student Engagement and Support Services Dr. Jessica Dreher
  • Position 21: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education Member Vickie Feaster Fornville
  • Position 22: County Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford
  • Position 23: County Commission Chair Jean Hamilton
  • Position 24: Mebane Chief of Police Mitch McKinney
  • Position 25: Compass Center Co-Director Bridget McEnaney
  • Position 26: Partnership to End Homelessness Program Manager Danielle DeCaprio
  • Position 27: UNC School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry Barbara-Ann Bybel
  • Position 28: Campus and Community Coalition Director Samantha Luu
  • Position 29: Housing Department Director Blake Rosser
  • Position 30: Office of Civil Rights and Civic Life Director Paul Slack
  • Position 31: UNC Chief of Police Brian James
  • Position 32: Attorney Kellie Mannette

Administrators and Contacts for the Council

  • CJRD Director Danielle Carman
  • Deputy County Manager Caitlin Fenhagen