Long-term district attorney retiring

Howard S. Boney Jr. was appointed to the position in the 7th Prosecutorial by Gov. Jim Hunt in January 1978. Boney won election in November that year and was re-elected seven times.

"The people of this district have allowed me the honor and privilege of serving our three counties for the past 31 years," Boney said in a statement.

"It has always been my philosophy that this office is not about me but about the people we serve. I have devoted half of my entire life to the service of this district, and so it is with deep and mixed emotions that I leave office," he continued.

Boney was the first district attorney in the state to develop a Victim/Witness program. It keeps victims and witnesses in close contact with the District Attorney's Office to help them navigate the legal system.

Boney's district was also the first to establish Child Justice Centers to serve child abuse victims and their families. Centers are in Rocky Mount, Nashville and Wilson.

While Boney was in office, the District Attorney's Office staff grew from five to 41 employees.

Boney also served on the Governor's Crime Commission for 15 years and on the Tarboro Redevelopment Commission for 35 years, including 17 years as chairman.

A Tarboro native, Boney received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He practiced law in Tarboro before his appointment as district attorney.