A Wake County judge on Thursday refused to extend a protective order against Durham County Chief District Court Judge Clayton Jones Jr., keeping the matter limited to a short-term restriction instead of a long-term domestic-violence order. The decision comes shortly after Jones’s Jan. 15 acquittal on misdemeanor domestic-violence and assault charges, and as he continues to appear on the ballot in a contested judicial primary.
Wake County District Court Judge Kevin Boxberger ruled that the evidence did not support turning the temporary order into a permanent domestic-violence protective order, lifting any longer-term limits on contact and firearms for Jones, according to The News & Observer. Court records show the earlier temporary order had required Jones to stay at least 200 feet away from the accuser and to surrender his firearms while it was in effect.
Jones had already scored a legal victory in mid-January when he was found not guilty after a bench trial, with local coverage noting the swift verdict. WRAL reported that the case, originally filed in Durham, was moved to a Guilford County courtroom before the not-guilty ruling.
"Two separate courts have now heard all of the evidence...and ruled in Judge Jones’s favor," attorney Kellie Mannette said in a statement to The News & Observer. Jones’s campaign materials and a candidate questionnaire outline his years on the bench and say that experience has reshaped his approach to the criminal-justice system as he runs in the March primary, according to INDY Week.
Background
Jones was arrested in December after an alleged Nov. 29 incident at an auto shop that led to misdemeanor charges and a civil protective order. Hoodline's December coverage summarized the initial filings and said the order described multiple earlier incidents and included a firearms-surrender requirement.
Legal implications
Domestic-violence protective orders in North Carolina are civil remedies governed by Chapter 50B and do not count as criminal convictions, the state courts explain, although violations of those orders can lead to arrest or criminal charges, according to the North Carolina Judicial Branch. The Administrative Office of the Courts allowed Jones to return to his duties after the acquittal, per a candidate questionnaire and local reporting, and Judge Doretta L. Walker had been appointed on a temporary basis to handle his caseload while the matter played out, as reported by ABC11.
The latest ruling lands just ahead of the March 3 primary; the North Carolina State Board of Elections lists the 2026 primary date as March 3, 2026. Jones remains on the Democratic ballot, and his legal troubles have become a central point of debate as the campaign heads into its final stretch, according to his campaign site claytonjonesforjudge.com.
