I was at the courthouse for Jury duty. I spent the entire 8 hours reading a book and listening to…read moremusic. I was welcomed to the courthouse by the extremely "friendly" security staff. They got the job done through and ensured everyone was safe going into the building. I was very disappointed that the drink machine was out of order when they had advertised online that you could purchase refreshments in the waiting area. Towards the end of the day, I did find out that you can leave the waiting area to purchase drinks and snacks from vending machines on another floor. They really should have posted a sign indicating this information on their broken vending machines. Although I did not get picked to be on a jury, I enjoyed sitting in a comfortable chair and reading my book for 8 hours. Hopefully I don't have to go back soon.

Came here to get some official copies of some documents. I will say the process of getting the…read morecopies, then going downstairs to pay, then coming back up to get the document is a bit of a nuisance. If the civil file office had a way of receiving card payments for copies, this would've been a 5 star review. Overall, decent staff. The cafe on the first floor is nice too. The guy who runs it has great customer service !

Judge gave my funds to opposing lawyer and is missing in action. Have not heard anything about my…read moreshare of equitable distribution

I called the Lincoln County (NC) Clerks office to find out how I get a copy of the written…read morejudgement from Small Claims court. I need it to add to statement for a criminal complaint for a different county in the same matter. I was told to come to the Court House for it. When I asked exactly what I would receive if I drove an hr. to the Court House I was told to hold. Been on hold for 25 minutes now. I'm sure they're hoping I'll hang up, but I won't. Zero concern for a non-lawyer 'newbie' to matters such as these. Zero accountabilty I'm sure. Typical gov't. employee attitude.

He was my son's lawyer and in 4 months never contacted him or returned calls. It is impossible to…read morereach him,even leaving messages with secretary doesn't help. How can a lawyer represent someone and never see or speak them? I would never recommend him.

Attorney Atkinson dealt with our situation efficiently and professionally. We are from out of…read morestate and he handled everything. Great guy!!

I witnessed a rollover accident yesterday and for the second time in the last few months, called…read more911 to report it. The car was still rolling when I started dialing. The dispatcher I spoke to was calm, cool and collected. She asked a number of pointed questions about where the incident took place, the people involved (is one of the vehicles on fire? is anyone seriously injured? is anyone bleeding?), provided instructions (don't move anyone unless its an emergency) and then took my contact information. Two minutes and ten seconds later, the first Gastonia police officer was on the scene. That's a fast response and for that, five stars for the Gastonia police department. [Review 13713 overall, 1033 of 2020, number 2491 in North Carolina.]

In front of the Gaston County courthouse, there is a monument that says "In Honor Of All Veterans",…read morebut at least one Gastonia veteran has been seriously dishonored by his local government. You may have already heard the story: Joshua Rohrer is a homeless army veteran who served from 2002 to 2008 and did one tour overseas. He suffers from PTSD, which he is actively getting help from the VA, but still requires a service dog to function in society. By all accounts, Joshua is a nice and friendly man, and hasn't bothered anyone. Back in October, a woman called 911 to report that Joshua was "using his dog to get money...to make people feel sorry for them." Joshua said later that he never begs for food or money, that he only walks down the walkways with his service dog, Sunshine, and talks with folks as they pass by. This is, of course, perfectly legal, and he has every right to walk on public property with his dog. When a Gastonia Police officer arrived, Joshua was told that he was breaking the law, which he denied. The officer requested backup and insisted that Joshua show a state ID. Joshua doesn't have one, but as he was pulling out his VA card, the officer slammed him up against the police cruiser, cuffed him, and arrested him for solicitation and resisting arrest. The officer then shot Sunshine, the service dog, with a taser, as bystanders yelled for the officer to leave her alone. Sunshine ran to a nearby store with one of the taser prongs still attached to her. Joshua asked someone to please retrieve Sunshine, and Gastonia officers responded by laughing at him and shoving him into the cruiser. While Joshua was in police custody, Sunshine was retrieved and released to one of Joshua's friends, where she ended up running away and was hit by a car, where she died. Joshua believes she was scared and looking for him. Officers claim that Joshua resisted arrest and Sunshine bit the officer who tased her. Joshua, and at least 4 eyewitnesses, says that he didn't resist and Sunshine was several feet away and facing away from the officer when she was tased. There is a very simple way to solve this case of conflicting stories: release the body cam footage. And Gastonia Police are refusing to do that. Joshua has seen the nearly 2 hours of footage himself, and he says it shows that neither he nor Sunshine did anything wrong, and that the officer brutalized both of them. Joshua and local media have even petitioned for the footage to be released to the public, but that request was denied by a judge. From 1987 until at least 1990, Gastonia Police had a team of officers called the "Eagle Team", whose mission was to harass Gastonia's homeless population. They used CB radios so they could communicate and plan their violent crimes without using police channels. The "Eagle Team" would take cooling oil, coffee, and even urine and douse the homeless in these liquids. They would often brutally assault their victims as well, which they referred to as "taking them for a ride on Space Mountain". They found their violent behavior to be so funny that they even had t-shirts printed up that said "Space Mountain Boys" for their bowling league. One of their victims, a man named Norman "Ben" Hannah talked about being assaulted to a friend of his. The friend, a bail bondsman named Ronnie Biddix, called the police and the ACLU, who had represented Hannah and other victims in the lawsuit. Later, criminal charges were filed against the "Eagle Team". Sadly, Ben would never see justice prevail. On December of 1990, he was found shot to death at his mother's home, in an alleged suicide. Authorities claimed that Ben pointed a .22-caliber rifle at his chest and pushed the trigger with a stick. And even though Norman was illiterate, he apparently had learned to write just in time to pen a suicide note. As a result of his death, charges against former "Eagle Team" officers David Neil McKinney and Timothy Andrew Bass were dropped. Thankfully, three of the officers pleaded guilty to their various crimes, and all seven of them either resigned or were fired. But it appears that the legacy of the "Eagle Team" continues to live on.

Staff were extremely courteous, helpful and polite. Process was extremely easy. On the back end,…read morethey reply to E-Mail extremely expeditiously. This is a true shocker! Doing business with government should be efficient and streamlined - and this was my experience. I wanted to thank the staff for allowing me to take my oath using my Jewish Prayer Book; - This was so kind and meant so much to me. Thank you all for being so respectful of my religion. A+

This office needs better efficiency in running its day to day operations. However I don't believe…read moreit will change.

Heritage not hate, or so they say. Well, stop by the Gaston County Courthouse while you can because…read morethis monument is soon to be moved. It was supposed to go with a transfer of ownership and a $200,000 payment for the removal, but the Sons of Confederate Veterans backed out of the deal. So it's still here for now. Ironically, located on Dr. Martin Luther King Way. Dedicated November 21, 1912, this is the Gastonia memorial to those who fought in the Civil War. North Carolina is, of course, in the South and was therefore one of the states that seceded from the Union and joined up with the Confederacy. The monument depicts a Confederate soldier at parade rest with both hands resting on the barrel of his rifle. The sculpture is atop a tall column that is around 35 feet high. The wrong of the monument has a Confederate flag waving from a broken pole. The soldier faces to the East. (When it was in front of the original Gaston County courthouse, it was facing north but moved here in 1998.) The statue is in the front courtyard of the courthouse and is surrounded not only by yellow caution tape but also a chain link fence. People are a little upset around here, so this is to keep it from getting defaced. I did not go past the tape to take my pictures. [This site was visited on 8/24 but the hamsters AGAIN fell off the Yelp wheel back at headquarters and they merged it with another monument. Deleting and re-adding was the only way to fix it.] [Review 14279 overall, 1603 of 2020, number 2693 in North Carolina.]

As county courthouses go, this one gets a couple stars for a simple layout, but it pretty much has…read moreto stop there. This is an older courthouse that is getting fairly outdated and crowded for the usual docket lineup on any given day of the week. As is usual now, the front door greets you with an immediate metal detector set up combined with an conveyor belt for scanning pocketbooks and other bags. A deputy will pat you down in the event you set alarms off. After that, it's pretty simple. To your right are the various clerk's offices separated by division: criminal, civil, and special proceedings. To your left is a single long hallway that takes you to the various courtrooms. Signage is deplorable, and you'd be wise to check the printed paper dockets outside each courtroom to make sure you are in the right place. Courtroom assignments can change, so don't ever assume you know where you'll be. If in doubt, it's always wise to go check back at the clerk's office. Being a smaller county, these staff here can usually take the time to look up your case and tell you where you need to be and when you need to be there. The courtrooms themselves are pretty small and cramped here, so expect to be shoulder to shoulder with your fellow citizens, joining for a day of justice in action. The good news is that being so small, it's pretty easy to hear what's happening up at the bench with the judge and clerks. Parking is always an interesting endeavor here. There is a small lot to the right of the courthouse and on just across the street that provides ample free parking. These small lots tend to fill up fast, and then you're left with street options and various amount of time you can stay parked for free. Don't park in the businesses just across the street, though, as they are well known for towing non-customers.

Look no further! If you are in need of a lawyer that will support you every step of the way, you've…read morefound your guy. I have never dealt with the court system before and felt nervous about the whole situation. Shook treated me with so much respect and compassion and made sure I was prepared completely. He is great at his job and is an amazing person to have in your corner.

Mr. Shook and his assistant Juliana handled my wife's immigration case with great care, they kept…read moreus updated along the process and gave us a clear understanding on how it all worked from A-Z. I would definitely recommend Ron to anybody looking for the best representation on Immigration and criminal cases! Attorney Shook has great knowledge and quality service! Definitivamente recomiendo al abogado Ron. El y su asistente se encargaron del caso de imigracion de mi esposa con gran responsabilidad, nos mantubieron informados en todo momento durante el proceso y nos dieron un mejor conocimiento de como es el proceso de estos casos. Nos brindaron un servico de alta calidad y con mucha experiencia!

excellent experience. The staff was understanding and very helpful . especial thanks to Lis.read more

Team was super helpful and quick. Get there early before they open without an appointment and…read moreyou're good. Have your documents ready

This roadside marker recalls Colonial Times and has an adjacent stone marker…read more The historical marker reads, "Formed 1768, named for Governor William Tryon. Divided in 1779 into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties. Courthouse stood here." Online, there is more information. "In 1768, the Colonial Assembly acted upon the entreaties of Mecklenburg County citizens who complained about having to travel long distances to the county court as a result of the county's immense size. The decision was made to divide Mecklenburg County into two separate counties: Mecklenburg and Tryon. In 1779, the General Assembly voted to do away with Tryon County, dividing the land into Lincoln and Rutherford Counties. Tryon was serving as a British officer at the time, and citizens desperately wanted the county name changed to reflect their Patriotic sentiments. Lincoln County was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln of the Continental Army while Rutherford was named for North Carolina militia leader Griffith Rutherford." The stone marker notes, "Here in August 1775 was formulated and signed the Tryon County Declaration of Rights and Independence from British Tyranny. The following were signers..." and there is a list of 50 patriots below. On the opposite side, "Home of Christian Mauney. Pioneer and Patriarch, 1770. Site of Tryon Court House, 1774 to 1783. Camp of Lord Cornwallis and British Army, January 23 1781. Erected by descendants of Christian Mauney and their friends, 1919 W.A. Mauney Chairman." The Tryonota Volunteer Fire Department structure is nearby. I do not see any signs of the former courthouse from the roadside. [Review 13734 overall, 1054 of 2020, number 2511 in North Carolina.]