By ROBERT JUMPER
One Feather Editor
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. – In the Haywood County Courthouse, on Monday, Jan. 6, Shelli Buckner who previously served as an interim lead prosecutor for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was sworn in as an Assistant District Attorney for the 43rd Prosecutorial District of North Carolina.
In the Haywood County Courthouse, on Monday, Jan. 6, Shelli Buckner who previously served as an interim lead prosecutor for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was sworn in as an Assistant District Attorney for the 43rd Prosecutorial District of North Carolina. Shown, left to right, are her father, Lamar Henderson; her mother, Judy Henderson; Shelli Buckner; and her husband, Andy Buckner. (Photo by Quintin Ellison)
In requesting time from the presiding district court judge, the Honorable Monica Leslie, District Attorney Ashley H. Welch commented that she had been trying to add Buckner “to her team for a long time”. Buckner’s husband, Andy Buckner, has also served as an assistant district attorney for approximately six years.
For much of her career, Buckner has dedicated her life to serving the people of North Carolina and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. “Before coming to the Tribe in 2016, I lived in Raleigh for 14 years and practiced primarily employment and civil rights law in state and federal court, and before many administrative agencies. My husband, a native of Jackson County, and I moved back to his hometown to be closer to his family and to serve the people of the Western North Carolina community. I joined the newly formed EBCI Legal Assistance Office in December 2016. In that role, I worked closely with the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program to assist victims of domestic violence in civil legal matters along with the Office of the Tribal Prosecutor on related criminal matters. I joined that office in September 2018. I felt a spiritual compulsion to apply for it like I was meant to serve the community in that capacity. I became Senior Tribal Prosecutor in May 2022 and interim Lead Tribal Prosecutor in January 2023.”
EBCI Attorney General Michael McConnell said in an email concerning Buckner’s appointment as an assistant district attorney, “We are sure that Shelli will work hard for the state of North Carolina and the people of the 43rd Judicial District and will serve them well and with dedication. We wish her the best.”
Buckner commented that she is excited to serve in this new role. She added that she loves the Cherokee people and community and sees this as an opportunity to continue to serve the Cherokee people as she takes on a broader responsibility in the district. The 43rd Prosecutorial District includes Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Graham, Cherokee, and Clay counties.
