Name: Melanie Shekita
Age: 53
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: shekitaforwake.com
Occupation and employer: Assistant District Attorney, Wake County District Attorneys Office
1. What do you believe are the most important issues facing the District Attorney’s Office? What are your top three priorities in addressing these issues?
Most Important Issues
The three most pressing issues facing the Wake County District Attorney’s Office are reducing violent crime, particularly gun violence, recruiting and retaining experienced prosecutors, and establishing meaningful dual accountability within the office and to the public.
Reducing Violent Crime
My top priority is reducing violence in Wake County. I will develop a focused task force to identify the most dangerous offenders and prioritize their prosecution in a timely and efficient manner. This effort will concentrate on gun offenses, sexual assaults, drug trafficking, and other violent crimes. We are also seeing a troubling rise in juvenile violence, which will require strong collaboration with law enforcement, schools, community partners, and the juvenile justice system to address both accountability and prevention.
Recruiting and Retaining Prosecutors
The Wake County District Attorney’s Office is understaffed and has experienced significant turnover in recent years. While I will advocate for increased staffing at both the legislative and county levels, my immediate priority is recruiting and retaining experienced prosecutors. I will implement a leadership model that recognizes initiative, rewards excellence, and holds prosecutors to high professional standards. Public praise, professional respect, and meaningful acknowledgment of hard work improve morale, strengthen retention, and ultimately lead to better outcomes for the community.
Dual Accountability
As District Attorney, I will require dual accountability—both inside and outside the office. Prosecutors, including the District Attorney, must be accountable for their performance, professionalism, and caseloads. At the same time, the District Attorney’s Office must be transparent and accountable to the public it serves. Trust in the justice system depends on both internal integrity and public confidence.
2. What in your record as a public official or other experience demonstrates your ability to be an effective district attorney? This might include career or community service; be specific about its relevance to this office.
For 27 years, I have proudly served the citizens of Wake County as a dedicated public servant—both inside and outside the courthouse. Having worked under two long-serving District Attorneys and lived in this community for 48 years, I bring a lifelong connection and deep institutional knowledge that uniquely prepares me to lead the office into the future and meet the evolving needs of our diverse and growing county.
As a former volunteer firefighter for 10 years, current president of Western Wake Fire Rescue, and a member of the Wake County Fire Commission, I understand firsthand the demands placed on Wake County’s first responders and the critical role they play in protecting our community.
I currently serve as the head of the Special Victims Unit in the Wake County District Attorney’s Office, where I supervise a team of nine. I have been a zealous advocate for victims and understand that justice requires more than prosecution—it requires trust, transparency, and clear communication, especially during the most difficult moments in people’s lives. Along with a colleague in the Special Victims Unit, I was the first prosecutor in North Carolina to secure a conviction for a domestic violence homicide under Britny’s Law.
Over the course of my career, I have tried more than 250 cases, most involving crimes against children or violent crime. Beyond the courtroom, I have mentored dozens of new prosecutors and trained prosecutors across North Carolina, as well as nationally and internationally.
I am committed to delivering results with compassion, integrity, and accountability. My experience, proven leadership, and vision make me the most qualified candidate to move the Wake County District Attorney’s Office forward and ensure equal justice for all of Wake County citizens.
3. Violent crime rates in Wake County are below the state average, but gun violence—particularly among young people—remains a concern. What do you believe the DA’s Office’s role is in reducing violence, including juvenile crimes? If you’re an incumbent, how have you worked to achieve that? If you’re a challenger, what would you do if elected?
As noted above, Wake County is experiencing a troubling rise in juvenile violence, which demands strong collaboration among law enforcement, schools, community partners, and the juvenile justice system to ensure both accountability and prevention. In recent years, the District Attorney’s Office has seen an increase in serious cases involving juveniles, including a 13-year-old charged with murder.
These cases underscore the urgent need for early intervention. We must work together as a community to identify at-risk youth before violence occurs. I am committed to investigating individuals who unlawfully provide firearms to minors and taking appropriate legal action when necessary to prevent further tragedy.
Early intervention will be key to reducing future incarceration. Strengthening our existing Teen Court and Restorative Circle programs, along with expanding other diversion initiatives, will also help keep non-violent offenders out of Juvenile Court.
4. What kinds of diversion programs do you support using in the DA’s Office? What kinds of cases do you believe should be exempted from diversion programs?
I would continue to support the current diversionary programs: misdemeanor first offenders, felony first offenders (both for drug offenses and non-drug offenses) and conditional discharges. I am open to expanding other possible diversion programs for non-violent offenses. Violent offenses and sexual assaults should be exempt from diversion programs.
5. The recently passed Iryna’s Law eliminates the option for judges to release people pretrial with only a written promise to appear in court and requires that they set secured bonds for defendants charged with violent offenses or with more than two prior convictions. Do you support these changes? Why or why not?
The murder of Iryna Zarutska was a horrific crime. In response, the General Assembly enacted Iryna’s Law, imposing significant new requirements without providing the resources needed for full implementation.
As President of the Board of Criminal Justice Alternatives, I have worked with Wake County partners since 2022 to strengthen pretrial justice while prioritizing public safety. Wake County adopted an individualized, evidence-based Pretrial Services Assessment for all individuals processed through the detention center, giving judges better information to make informed release decisions. We also expanded pretrial supervision—quadrupling capacity in the community—and added an Assistant Public Defender for first-appearance hearings.
Prior to this horrible tragedy, Wake County, through collaborative efforts have worked to provide judges with more effective tools and options, allowing less restrictive conditions for non-violent offenders while promoting court appearance, accountability, and public safety.
6. No one on North Carolina’s death row has been executed since 2006. Provisions of Iryna’s Law open the door for executions to resume. In what circumstances, if any, do you support using the death penalty? In what circumstances do you support life sentences and de facto life sentences?
Statistically, over the last decade, the number of cases in which District Attorneys have exercised their discretion to proceed capitally has declined across North Carolina and in Wake County.
As District Attorney, I cannot pick and choose which laws to enforce. There are certain homicides so egregious that the citizens of Wake County, through a jury, should determine the appropriate punishment. That decision requires careful and responsible balancing of the facts of the case, the interests of justice, and the effective use of resources, while ensuring accountability for the most atrocious crimes.
As a founding member of the Special Victims Unit for over 20 years, I believe sexual assaults against children also warrant lengthy sentences. I support the General Assembly’s decision in 2009 to increase mandatory minimums for sexual assaults against minors under the age of 13.
7. Prosecutors routinely make decisions about which cases to pursue, especially with offices across the state understaffed. What kinds of cases would you prioritize for prosecution? Which would you deprioritize? Please explain your answer.
As outlined above, I would prioritize prosecution of violent crimes. Additionally, I would prioritize habitual offenders. I would not prioritize the simple possession or marijuana. I support expanding efforts for those with non-impaired driving offenses to be able to participate in alternatives to restoring driver’s licenses.
8. How should the DA’s Office take immigration status into consideration?
As a general rule, immigration status should never be considered when deciding whether to bring criminal charges. The law must be applied equally, regardless of where a person is born, whether that is a zip code, a state, or a country.
There are limited exceptions. If an individual is targeted or victimized because of their immigration status or nationality, that fact may serve as an aggravating factor in charging a crime or at sentencing.
Likewise, when an undocumented person is the victim of a crime, the District Attorney must ensure that person feels safe coming forward to report the crime and participate in its prosecution. Equal justice requires both fairness in charging decisions and trust from the communities we serve.
9. How would you characterize the incumbent DA’s record on dealing with use of force by local law enforcement officers? How would you differ in handling such cases, if at all?
I cannot comment on my current boss and District Attorney’s handling of use-of-force cases.
As District Attorney, however, the law will be applied equally to everyone in Wake County—civilians and law enforcement alike. After 27 years working closely with law enforcement, I can say without hesitation that no one is more angered by a bad cop than the officers who uphold the badge with integrity.
It is important to distinguish between criminal conduct and violations of internal police policy, and each use-of-force incident must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. I support increased training and awareness around use-of-force decision-making, with a strong emphasis on de-escalation, particularly in situations involving mental health crises.
10. The state legislature determines how many prosecutor positions it will fund in each DA’s Office. Wake County is the largest county in the state yet has far fewer prosecutors than the next largest county, Mecklenburg. How do you propose closing cases more efficiently given the shortage of staff? How would you advocate for more resources for the DA’s Office?
As discussed above, recruiting and retaining experienced prosecutors is essential, because public safety cannot wait on training new attorneys. As District Attorney of Wake County, I would actively advocate for increased staffing at both the county and state levels. Given Wake County’s size and its proximity to the General Assembly, the District Attorney has both the responsibility and the ability to push for additional resources.
At the same time, there are opportunities to improve efficiency within the existing structure of the office. I would streamline operations and evaluate how responsibilities are assigned to ensure prosecutors are used effectively and cases are handled promptly and responsibly.
11. Give an example of an opinion, policy, vote, or action you changed based on constituent feedback. If you have not yet held elected office, describe a time when you changed your position on an issue after listening to those affected by it.
In my 27 years as a prosecutor, there have been many occasions when additional facts provided by law enforcement or defense counsel have informed my decision about whether, or how, to proceed with a prosecution. Sound prosecutorial judgment requires a willingness to listen, evaluate all available information, and adjust course when warranted.
I served as a prosecutor during the Duke Lacrosse timeframe, which underscored the importance of exercising independent judgment and carefully weighing all facts before bringing charges and throughout the life of a case.
12. Are there any issues this questionnaire has not addressed that you would like to address?
The Wake County District Attorney’s Office serves the most diverse and largest population in the state, and its singular focus must be public safety. It should be an office grounded in community trust, fairness, and accountability, not partisan politics or personal political ambition.