Aretha Blake
North Carolina 26th Judicial District Court Judge
By John Burton
Judge Aretha Blake is a Certified Mecklenburg County Juvenile Court Judge. She was first elected in November 2016 in a highly visible, countywide judicial campaign. Judge Blake serves the citizens of Mecklenburg County in Family and Juvenile Court. To receive this distinction, the St. Johns, South Carolina native completed over 70 hours of specialized training in juvenile delinquency, juvenile abuse, neglect and dependency, substance abuse and other areas in less than a year. Judge Blake has presided over hundreds of juvenile hearings and is committed to using her experience on the Juvenile Court bench to facilitate the efficient implementation of North Carolina’s 2019 “Raise the Age” law. Under this law, 16- and 17-year-olds accused of most crimes are no longer automatically sent to adult court.
A graduate of Florida State University and University of Georgia School of Law, Judge Blake presides over areas in the Mecklenburg County justice system including: juvenile delinquency, juvenile abuse, neglect and dependency, and involuntary commitment hearings. Before her election to the District Court Bench, Judge Blake represented individuals and organizations in state and federal courts in North and South Carolina.
Judge Blake serves in various judicial leadership and volunteer roles, including serving as a volunteer Truancy Court Judge at Whitewater Middle School, Judicial Liaison to the Juvenile Law Section of the Mecklenburg County Bar, and a Judicial Liaison to the Mecklenburg County Youth Coalition which led to securing a $10,000 grant to help provide prosocial activities to youth in foster care.
Judge Blake has been named “Leader in the Law,” and “Emerging Legal Leader,” by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, and 40 Under 40 by the Charlotte Business Journal.
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