Wake County Clerk of Superior Court: Joe E. Teague Jr.

Name: Joe E. Teague Jr.

Age: 79

Party affiliation: Republican

Campaign website: www.joeteaguejrforclerkofcourt.com 

Occupation & employer: Professional Engineer(PE) , Teague Institute of Government Relations 

Years lived in the area: Eras, latest from 1983

1. What in your record as a public official or other experience demonstrates your ability to be an effective clerk? This might include career or community service; be specific about its relevance to this office.

I’m PE and CM with experience designing and constructing large projects with tons of nationalities. I’m experienced inspecting and recovering from disasters. My latest assignment with disaster recovery is with FEMA in Helene. I’ve had experience working in judicial setting protecting NCDOT funds from legislative reassignment. Effective Clerk presumes we all know what a Clerk does. Clerk uses ecourts. I have hands on experience with computers, networks and apps. With smart phones and apps. I enjoy using AI to address what seems unstoppable. I’ve got experience with managing people and programs. I’ve been up close and personal with Clerks in Wake County since 2006. 

2. In your view, what are the three most pressing issues facing the Clerk of Superior Court? If elected, what will you do to address these issues?

speedy trial, probable cause, initial charge

speedy trial statue was rescinded in 1989 soln: (restore it or operate like it is still there); Probable cause is prosecution initiated and it is normal to use grand jury and can be before judge, soln: (Wake co. acts like grand jury is a given so stop it and allow it on request before judge; initial charge can define what justice is, soln: (ensure courtroom clerks are knowledgeable about judicial process and statues and sentencing and post sentencing and video/audio recording of court is available for appellate court to review on request when a matter is appealed and can be played back for the Judge during trial or hearing for Judgment) 

3. If you are challenging an incumbent, in what ways do you believe you could run the clerk’s office more efficiently? If you are an incumbent, what in your record and experience do you believe entitles you to another term?

My opponent has been Magistrate Judge prior to her appointment as appointed acting Clerk 1/3/26 by Sr. Resident Superior Court Judge in that role from 2019. Former Clerk accepted District Court Judge Position 12/31/25 leaving Clerk office open all 2025 until 1/3/26. Respectfully, NCGS statute prefers management skills for this job, not JD with experience as Magistrate Judge. PE is built for this job with $30m budget and some 180 Personnel to manage. There is another $70m of funds under management additionally collected from court costs and funds managed. Some of those funds go to local Education entity as best i can tell now. My MBA makes me ready to know and manage those funds and not have issues with any audit. My opponent is newly appointed after serving as Magistrate Judge, and I wish her well. She is married to Special Superior Court Judge serving as holdover meaning he could be replaced at any time since 2018 five year term ended 2023. It’s a Gov. appointment I understand and serving together and married creates conflicts with judge scheduling assignments with DA. The Clerk is acting incumbent in that sense. Current Clerk is on acting assignment from having served as Magistrate Judge.

4. How would you assess the eCourts role out in your jurisdiction? What issues remain to be addressed, and how would you address them?

eCourts as i’ve observed and heard is offline as much as on. It’s slow and non responsive and not intuitive for public use. How would i address? I would pull AOC IT personnel on site to support issues as they occur and allow no down time. I’m finding systems that the public uses can be more intuitive to the public. eCourts is for public use and not exclusively for JDs. How trials and pleas are entered in the court system makes for errors for those caught up in system and translates to extra time in detention. Arraignment gets abused. Prisoner who pays that price. Charges affect the bail. Recent prisoner released after 25 years based on wrong charging document. Court employee training matters. 

5. What steps would you take to make the clerk’s office more accessible to the public—for instance, for non-English-speakers or those who work during the day?

In the most friendly way, English is our national language. Other languages are accommodated as best we can. As President Roosevelt said we treat anyone who comes to America and assimilates in our ways as American. Sometimes folks might feign language problems to be accommodated. Smart phones can accommodate any language. The charge can be read in any language and heard and translated to and from any language but English is preferred. Pretty sure there is embassy help for someone with no skill set. Zoom call. That is reason to be deported. Court system can’t be expected to accommodate all languages as two way conversation. Folks cant be here who can’t speak English. it’s like handicap with apologies. Folks who can’t pass DMV test can’t drive and shouldn’t have driver’s license. And shouldn’t be voting or living here and certainly not with families. Can hire interpreter, but that should cost the person before the court for reason they are there. Im encouraging English. I can hear other languages but person in court must accommodate English. To be sure he can’t be driving. That’s not for court to address. That’s a diversion issue. So non English speakers who work during the day. They have that employer with responsibility. There needs to be common approach. I like encouraging English spoken here. they can hire abrogado. Address like handicap. But recognize all this is going on now so first address what is. My natural instinct is English spoken here and you must be legally here. Public School have same issues. We can accommodate anything but why invite it and put up with it. When i worked in Middle East i had problem in reverse. Company addressed and expatriate deported. it was not critical to speak language of country where you worked. We did have international driving license. 

6. Identify and explain one principled stand you would be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some points with voters.

principled stand: question 5 seems like one of those stands. Segregate those who cannot speak English from those who can. Each declares he can or can’t. Require they bring a sponsor employer who can speak English? Adjudicate accordingly. No Judge required. Hearing Officer, not a Superior or District Court judge or Admin Law Judge. Might require fewer civil judges if admin law hearing officers hear case. 

7) Are there any issues this questionnaire has not addressed that you would like to address?

Who is responsible for court calendar when DAC have no problem to terminate Probation and matter of serving Sentence of probation was DA thing and case was appealed so probation was suspended while on appeal and case was self started by DA to restart probation after appeal denied and clerk never submitted restart form for probation after 2 years on appeal finally denied and no allowance for 2 years with no problem so Judge improperly hearing case freelancing when matter should be dismissed without forms from Clerk and judicial obstruction without proper form from Clerk. Courtroom clerk should have called foul and forced dismissal by form but did not. Courtroom Clerk has to speak up and call error with call to Clerk of Court when court is proceeding in error. Clerk has oversight responsibility for calendaring of cases and which judge assigned to hear. 

Additionally, denying motion to suppress shall be written, no exceptions. Who was responsible when RPD Detective Omar Abdullah pled guilty to planting evidence recently against those he set up. if not plea, case dismissed for cause.

When there’s no Clerk of Court overseeing expungements, there’s no one ensuring they actually happen. For example, a DUI case was dismissed after tests showed the driver’s reading was below the threshold, yet the case was still filed and later had to resolved by a lawyer. Even after dismissal, the DMV record still showed a suspended license, and an employer using TRW refused to hire the person because of outdated information still on their record. Either the expungement failed or TRW’s data was wrong and unfixable. Despite the DMV showing a clear record, the employer still declined based on TRW’s driving record report showing license suspended. This highlights an IT issue—DMV should be required to address and correct TRW’s records or compensate for the harm caused. 

There was also a recent case of a government employee manipulating DNA results, leading to wrongful convictions, showing how serious record accuracy is. Access to databases like TRW’s needs review, and the Clerk of Court should be held accountable for mistakes in the expungement process. Similarly, questions arise over who manages the court calendar when probation is terminated without issue by DAC, but after an appeal is denied, the DA restarts probation without the Clerk submitting the restart form. In one case, after two years on appeal with no problems, the judge improperly proceeded without the required forms, when the matter should have been dismissed.