Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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8 UCW JUNE 20-26, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM George T. "Tommy" Griffin was known as an innovator to colleagues. e courthouse crowd also knew Griffin as a fun-filled prankster. He was dedicated to the staff of the Cumberland County Superior Court Clerk's office. Griffin was buried last week following his death from a long illness. He was 77 years old and served as clerk of court for nearly 30 years. Griffin was appointed in 1972, four years after what was then called "the new courthouse" was opened. He won election every four years after that without opposition. Griffin surprised a lot of people when he decided to run for sheriff in 2001. He lost the democratic primary to Earl "Moose" Butler in the 2002 Democratic primary election. In the early 1960s, he paid his way through col- lege at what was then Pembroke State University. Soon thereafter, Griffin became involved with the state's Administrative Office of the Courts in Raleigh. He was a leader in creating a unified state court system after Tar Heel residents passed a con- stitutional amendment. Under this uniform judicial system, administration and budgeting were cen- tralized. All court personnel are now paid by the state, and the Administrative Office of the Courts is responsible for developing a single budget for the entire judicial system. North Carolina Superior Court clerks serve as probate judges. Domestic relations cases involv- ing alimony, child support, child custody, divorce, equitable distribution and juvenile matters are also heard in this court. The clerks also main- tain criminal court, civil court and juvenile court records as well as estate records. They provide courtroom clerks for all sessions of court in their respective counties. Colleagues were impressed with Gifford's for- ward thinking when he became superior court clerk in 1972. As new computer database and record-keeping technologies became available, he implemented them as budgets would allow. Cumberland County began pilot programs that soon went statewide. Tommy Griffin was especially keen on his re- sponsibility to the public, providing citizens access to all public court records. He also collected fines and court fees and doled out child support payments. Former Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Coy Brewer said Griffin was the driving force be- hind a pretrial release program that Cumberland County implemented to reduce overcrowding at the jail. Griffin's senior assistant clerk, Linda Priest, took over for him when he retired in 2001. "He loved a good time" and was quite a jokester, she said. Chief District Court Judge Robert Stiehl noted Griffin's ability to hire hardworking, smart people. Griffin's survivors include his wife, Pamela, and two sons. Longtime Clerk of Court Tommy Griffin dead at 77 by JEFF THOMPSON George T. "Tommy" Griffin served as clerk of court for nearly 30 years. NEWS JEFF THOMPSON, Senior News Reporter. COMMENTS? news@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200. (910) 678-8400 • www.faytechcc.edu Make the SMART choice to register now for Fall classes at FTCC! Choose from over 250 programs of study in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Business, Computer Information Technology, Engineering & Applied Technology, Health, Math & Sciences, and Public Service For information on course descriptions involved with each program, career paths, and employment outlook, visit www.faytechcc.edu/academics or meet with an FTCC admissions counselor at our Fayetteville, Spring Lake, or Fort Bragg locations! Register now for Fall classes! Classes begin August 20