Judge Angela Foster goes all out for juvenile justice

Guilford County District Judge Angela Foster is passionate about juvenile justice, and she will dispense tough love to back her convictions -- even if it puts her judicial seat on the line.

But voters indicated that they appreciate Foster’s style of dispensing justice, returning her to office in a November election.

In a controversial and much-publicized January 2018 custody case, Foster ordered bailiffs to handcuff a mother and place her in a holding cell. Foster then lectured the mom’s 15-year-old twin sons for not visiting their father over winter break -- as the court had directed.

Foster’s strong action came after she told the boys that their mother could be jailed over their refusal to see their father. The boys replied that they would rather their mother go to jail than to visit their father.

In the end, the boys agreed to the visitation, were reunited with their mother, and the family’s custody fight spread to local and statewide media. But that was not the end of the story.

In September 2019, the state Supreme Court agreed with a recommendation from the N.C. Standards Commission to censure Foster after finding that her conduct was “inappropriate” and that she failed to “remain patient, dignified and courteous” while presiding over the hearing.

A censure is a more severe punishment than a reprimand and is issued when there is willful misconduct, but doesn’t warrant a suspension or removal from office.

Foster knows she crossed the line, acknowledging that sending the woman to jail was “an improper or wrongful use” of her office.

“It was never my intention to embarrass her,” Foster said, “but it was my intention to show her children that their actions could lead to this… you don’t have to like your parent, but you need to give them the opportunity to be your parent.”

Foster explained her exasperation to the boys in court, according to the Greensboro News and Record, which reported: “According to court records, Foster told the twins: ‘My children would never allow me to go jail for any reason whatsoever. ... I’m appalled because my children respect me so much they would never allow that to happen.’ ”

The boys relented when Foster told them that they would have to spend 60 days with their father -- instead of six days as her previous order had stated.

“I’m happy to say that these people act like a family unit now,” Foster said recently. “They’ve stopped coming to court. They (the boys) are visiting their father. If their mother went to jail, they would have gone to live with their father.”

Voters, meanwhile, showed appreciation for Foster's tough-love approach. She emerged victorious from a March 2020 primary and then defeated challenger Michelle Lee by more than 8,000 votes in the November election. Foster collected 39,546 votes to Lee’s 31,685 votes.

"I think the custody battle actually helped me," Foster said. "A lot of voters were able to see right through the rhetoric that was trying to be portrayed." Juvenile courts and magistrates are among the responsibilities of district judges. Foster continues to advocate for the youth both in and out of the courtroom by speaking on issues she feels will better the system.

Foster said that she tries to refer parents to outpatient therapy or drug re-education programs so that they can continue to see their children. She prefers that the family bond between parents and children is not broken.

Foster found her passion for civil and juvenile law when she attended law school at North Carolina Central University. She now has more than 20 years of courtroom experience and 12 years of experience as a district court judge. Foster takes pride in knowing that in her courtroom fair rulings occur. As a staple in Guilford County family court, she said she knows she plays a major rule in changing the narrative for these families. "As a judge it was about who was standing before me," Foster said. "It has nothing to do with money or anything like that. It is not just mothers that deserve to be present in their children’s life.

Fathers deserve the opportunity to step up as well." Foster said she believes that school districts should be doing more to assist with the nurturing and care of juveniles. She says Guilford County needs more alternative programs to deter students from entering into the criminal justice pipeline -- where they might end up in her courtroom. The community must do more to ensure that students aren’t misguided into a life of criminal activity, Foster said, and the way to do this is by providing programs that will assist students in both their academic and personal lives. Family unification is a priority for Foster, who is also concerned with helping foster children in her capacity as a district court judge. A tall hurdle, she says, is the issue of parental drug use, which can prevent children from being reunited with their parents. Parental drug use can also have added long-term implications.

“A child is born addicted because a parent was using drugs while pregnant,” Foster said. “I want to try to get them off drugs. I’m very concerned about that. If I can’t get a parent to stop using those drugs, I can’t reunify that family.”

Foster also gave an update on the family in the custody case. ”One boy lives full time with his dad, and the other one remains with their mom, but still sees dad frequently,” Foster said. “They are behaving more as a family unit -- instead of just following court orders.”

Judge Angela Foster: View From the Bench

Interview conducted by Spencer Heath, North Caroline A&T Department of Journalism

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​Why she became a judge BEFORE SHE BECAME A JURIST, GUILFORD COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE ANGELA FOSTER WAS AN ATTORNEY. AFTER YEARS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, SHE BECAME A PUBLIC DEFENDER. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH N.C. A AND T STUDENT JOURNALIST SPENCER HEATH, JUDGE FOSTER SAYS THAT LED TO THE BENCH.

​Focusing on Juvenile Justice GUILFORD COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE ANGELA FOSTER FIRST WORKED WITH JUVENILES IN HER PREVIOUS JOB AS A PUBLIC DEFENDER. AS AN ADVOCATE, SHE WANTED TO DO MORE TO HELP YOUTH IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

​​Impact of Schools closed by COVID GUILFORD COUNTY JUVENILE COURT JUDGE ANGELA FOSTER PREDICTS THE COVID PANDEMIC WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN JUVENILE ARRESTS AND COURT APPEARANCES. ONE PROBLEM, SAYS JUDGE FOSTER, IS SCHOOL CLOSURES (WHICH GIVE YOUTH MORE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN MISCHIEF AND LAW BREAKING.)

​​School’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ policies AFTER NEARLY TEN YEARS ON THE BENCH, JUDGE ANGELA FOSTER HAS A THEORY ABOUT A PRIME CAUSE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CASES. ONE WAY TO KEEP CHILDREN OUT OF JAIL, SHE SAYS, IS TO REVISE ‘ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES’ IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN.