In this special episode, Pitt County Chief District Court Judge Galen Braddy shares his deep-rooted passion for turkey hunting and turkey calling, and how the discipline, patience, and focus it requires mirror the skills he brings to the courtroom.

Judge Braddy, who has served on the bench for over 25 years, offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at his life outside the courtroom, and treats us to a demonstration of a variety of turkey calls. In addition, he shares how turkey hunting and calling trains him for his work in the courtroom, and allows him to recharge to do his best at the job he loves.

“No matter what's going on, like if you've heard a terrible domestic case where a family is in conflict, you can reboot in the outdoors,” said Braddy on the podcast. “Sometimes it doesn't matter if the turkey gobbles or not, you're just out there. That really brings me back to peace and helps me get away.”

All Things Judicial: Beyond the Bench is part of an ongoing effort to humanize the judiciary and foster public understanding of the people who serve in North Carolina’s court system.

See pictures of Judge Braddy's prize turkeys and the turkey calls he uses.

In this episode, we feature a wide-ranging conversation with Amanda Lamb, a veteran journalist, true crime author, and podcast host with more than 30 years of experience covering courts and criminal justice in North Carolina.

Best known for her long tenure as a crime reporter for WRAL-TV in Raleigh, Lamb has built a career around telling powerful stories from inside the courtroom. Her reporting has covered some of the state's most high-profile and complex criminal trials. In the episode, she reflects on what it means to witness justice unfold firsthand and the responsibilities that come with bringing those stories to the public.

In the interview, Lamb discusses the challenges of accurately reporting legal proceedings for a general audience, the ethical decisions reporters face inside the courtroom, and how access to judicial proceedings has changed with the rise of digital media and livestreaming. She also shares reflections on particularly memorable cases she covered and her transition from daily reporting to writing and podcasting.

Outside of television, Lamb is the author of several acclaimed true crime books and the host of the investigative podcasts Follow the Truth, What Remains, and The Killing Month August 1978. In addition, she shares about her current podcast, AGELESS: Opening Doors with Amanda Lamb.

In this episode, we spotlight the civil wedding ceremonies conducted by North Carolina magistrates. We offer both a behind-the-scenes look at the process of getting married at a courthouse and a touching glimpse into a real wedding held at the Wake County Justice Center.

In the first segment, host Chris Mears interviews Wake County Chief Magistrate Christopher Graves, who shares insight into the role magistrates play in officiating weddings. Magistrate Graves walks listeners through a general understanding of the process that couples can expect, and shares his personal experience officiating weddings at the courthouse.

"Wedding ceremonies present an excellent opportunity for magistrates to show-off their public service skills," said Graves on the podcast. "In Wake County, we take pride in doing everything possible to give the couple the very best experience on their special day."

The episode's second segment transports listeners to the Wake County Justice Center, where the podcast team captures audio from a real wedding between Javier and Marielis, a couple who are native Spanish speakers. With assistance from an interpreter, the couple exchanged vows in a ceremony that reflected both the dignity of the occasion and the importance of cultural and linguistic inclusion in the courts. Host Chris Mears also had the privilege of serving as a legal witness to the ceremony.

All Things Judicial is the official podcast of the North Carolina Judicial Branch and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.