Judge rejects extending accuser’s protective order against Durham County judge
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake County judge denied issuing permanent DVPO against Durham District Court chief judge.
- Clayton Jones was also acquitted in January criminal case alleging domestic violence.
- Jones faces Christy Mallott in Democratic primary for his seat on Durham District Court.
A Wake County judge denied extending a domestic violence protective order against a Durham County judge this week, saying the accuser lacked sufficient evidence.
Chief District Judge Clayton Jones was accused of assault by his ex-girlfriend after an incident at a Durham auto body shop. A Harnett County judge acquitted Jones of the criminal charge in a Guilford County court Jan. 15, The News & Observer previously reported.
The woman who accused Jones also filed for a protective order in Wake County, where she lives. The News & Observer does not generally publish the names of people who say they are victims of domestic violence.
The temporary order bared Jones from contacting or harassing her and from possessing firearms. Such orders have a low legal bar and are granted after an accuser meets with a judicial official. The temporary order against Jones remained in effect until a hearing on a permanent order that was held Tuesday that included both parties.
After hearing from multiple witnesses, Wake County District Court Judge Kevin Boxberger ruled that evidence didn’t support a permanent protective order.
“Overall, there is insufficient, credible evidence that Defendant committed an act of domestic violence,” Boxberger said.
Judge responds to ruling
“Two separate courts have now heard all of the evidence, considered the accuser’s claims, compared those claims with eyewitness testimony, and ruled in Judge Jones’s favor,” Kellie Mannette, Jones’ attorney, wrote in a Tuesday statement to The N&O.
In separate Tuesday Facebook posts, Jones, who is running for re-election, wrote that he lost an endorsement on Jan. 13 as a result of the charges that now have been dismissed.
Jones wrote that his experience “reshaped my perspective of the criminal justice system and the negative stigma the label ‘defendant’ attaches to an individual.”
“Moving forward, it will be my goal to reduce the number and length of continuances, reduce pretrial detention for person charged with any criminal offense and reduce the collateral impact to those charged with any offense understanding UNEQUIVOCALLY EVERYONE is INNOCENT until proven guilty,” Jones wrote.
Jones, who has sat on the Durham District Court bench since 2019, is running against Christy Malot, senior assistant county attorney for Durham County government, in the Democratic primary for Seat 5 in North Carolina’s 16th District Court. The 16th District Court covers Durham County. The primary is March 3, and there are no Republicans seeking the seat.
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Judge rejects extending accuser’s protective order against Durham County judge."
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