District Attorney
 
The district attorney is an attorney who is elected for a four-year term by the voters within the district he or she serves. District attorneys are not allowed to engage in the private practice of law.

The primary duty of the district attorney is to prosecute all criminal cases filed in the district. The district attorney represents the state in all criminal and some juvenile matters. In addition, the district attorney is responsible for preparing the criminal trial docket and advising law enforcement officers in the district.

Peter Gilchrist, a native of Mecklenburg County, has served as its District Attorney since his election in 1975. Mr. Gilchrist graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his law degree from Duke University School of Law in 1965. Prior to his election in 1975, he worked as an Assistant Solicitor in Mecklenburg County.

District Attorney, Peter Gilchrist