Attorney

The County Attorney plays a vital role in County Administrations. The County Attorney is the legal advisor to the Board of Commissioners and all County officials. Under the direction of the County Manager, the County Attorney examines any written commitments made by the County and also approves all contracts or deeds. The duties of the County Attorney also require that he stay abreast of trends and developments in the law and represent the County's interests in cases of litigation against County officials and employees.

Other duties of the County Attorney include the interpretation and drafting of county ordinances and assisting all County Departments in interpreting States Statutes and regulations and Federal Statutes and regulations.

The County Attorney's Office does not handle the prosecution of criminal cases; that function is handled by the District Attorney's Office for Judicial District 38. For more information, visit their website or call (704) 852-3113.

Biography

Bill Stetzer was appointed Gaston County Attorney in January of 2022. Stetzer has 25 years of litigation experience in state and federal court. Prior to joining Gaston County, Stetzer spent four years with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina as First Assistant United States Attorney, and eventually as Acting United States Attorney. Prior to that, Stetzer served as Homicide Team Supervisor at the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office and as a senior prosecutor in the Gaston County District Attorney's Office.

A resident of Belmont, Stetzer has received commendations for his work from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Homicide Support Group, and received the Justice Department's Assistant Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service.