Longest-serving Wake County Superior Court Judge Stephens retires

Since 1984, Stephens has dispensed wisdom from the bench. He called the job challenging, rewarding, demanding and frustrating. But retiring feels different.

"I feel liberated," Stephens said. "I absolutely feel liberated."

While many things have changed—from law school and technology to surveillance video and search warrants for Facebook records—Stephens said the people have stayed the same.

"There are more people in prison for being stupid—y'all have heard me say that—than being mean," Stephens said "Just crazy. People just don't think or use common sense and end up getting themselves in trouble."

Cases like those bring a different feeling to a life spent in court.

"Someone asked me if it was an exciting job, and I've said most of the time its just a really sad job," Stephens said. "It's just really sad to watch all the trauma and drama play out in the courtroom."

But Stephens said he doesn't play politics from the bench.

"I've always thought the best politics is working hard, doing a good job and trying to get it right," Stephens said.

Though getting it right isn't always easy.

"You have to be fair, you have to be objective, you have to be impartial, you have to treat everybody the same way," Stephens said. "Sometimes the law requires you rule differently than your heart and your conscience might."

Inevitably, though, that heart and conscience shine through: Stephens said he hopes his words can make a difference in a person's life.

Stephens said one of his biggest achievements off the bench was helping to create the new Wake County Justice Center, which opened in 2013. But on the bench, what Stephens has provided to the citizens of Wake County is strong leadership over a team of 30 District and Superior Court judges.

"There's a lot of diplomacy involved in making this thing work, making the system work," Stephens said.

As a newly minted civilian, though, he's hoping to speak up more.

"As they say when you leave government, you get your voice back," Stephens said. "I may get my voice back, and without restriction, I can say or do like any other citizen, so I'm looking forward to doing that."

Stephens says he may just use that voice to yell loudly and embarrass his grandsons at their basketball games, something he says he never felt like he could do as a judge.

Stephens will be replaced by Judge Paul Ridgeway whom Stephens describes as "young, enthusiastic, and energetic." He says the court system in Wake County will be in good hands.