CHARLOTTE — The example of the Jesuits inspires the work of Mecklenburg County’s new district attorney.
Spencer Merriweather, a member of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, was appointed district attorney for Mecklenburg County last fall by Gov. Roy Cooper, when former District Attorney Andrew Murray left upon being nominated as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The 39-year-old Democrat is the first African-American to serve in the post, and he came highly recommended by his Republican predecessor.
An assistant district attorney for 11 years, Merriweather draws a strong line between his work ethic and his Ignatian spirituality.
He converted to Catholicism in 2012, but his love of the faith did not begin there.
Raised in the Lutheran church in Mobile, Ala., he was introduced to Catholicism when he went to St. Ignatius Catholic School, where he was enrolled from kindergarten until the eighth grade.
Mobile, with its French and Spanish colonial roots, has had a strong Catholic presence for more than 300 years, and Merriweather notes that he couldn’t help but become acquainted with the Catholic faith while growing up there.
As he pursued his education and career goals into adulthood, Merriweather began attending Mass at Catholic churches nearby.
During his undergraduate years at Princeton University, Merriweather attended Mass at its Aquinas Institute. While working as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C., he regularly went to Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Then he frequented Immaculate Conception Church in Durham while pursuing a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Keep in mind, I was still not Catholic even though I was attending for such a long time,” he notes.
When he moved to Charlotte to practice law, Merriweather immediately sought a way to make a difference in the community – following the example of his parents, and inspired by the Jesuits of St. Peter Church in uptown Charlotte.
“Almost immediately upon my arrival, I started going to St. Peter Church,” he recalls, where he “felt an immediate sense of warmth.”
“The liturgy at St. Peter is a blessing,” he said. “The message always emphasizes the importance of pursuing justice, making it a Catholic priority to serve not only within the confines of the church, but within our larger community. St. Peter has a fully captivating Jesuit staff, blessed with great priests. In all the Catholic churches I have attended, I have always been blessed with wonderful priests. I finally converted and went through the RCIA program at St. Peter’s because that parish gave me a sense of mission and a feeling that I could make a difference. St. Peter’s lives by the ethic ‘all are welcome’ and that is felt throughout the congregation.”
Merriweather’s faith life and his choice of profession were also inspired by the example of his parents.
“My parents, both teachers, were always giving with their time,” he says. “Community service has always been their center. Watching and being a part of their services to the community made me yearn to make a difference. When I thought of a career path, it was hard for me to imagine something that did not include serving others.”
Merriweather is a strong advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and serves as a member of the board of Safe Alliance. He is also the incoming president of the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation Board.
Merriweather takes the responsibility of his position very seriously.
“Every single case that is presented to me is difficult because someone’s life will be affected no matter what the outcome. As the DA, it is my responsibility to apply the law equitably and fairly without bias and prejudice. I am fortunate to work with a dedicated and fair-minded staff of 86 prosecutors who are not about keeping score, not about winning – but people who are prepared to argue vigorously to defend justice.”
Merriweather also says he is committed to building trust in the local criminal justice system.
“Where I stand,” he says, “trust in our criminal justice system is vital because if we don’t have trust we cannot hold people accountable for their actions. I need witnesses who feel comfortable coming forward. I need jurors who understand the importance of being a part of the trial process. If jurors and witnesses do not trust and prioritize the criminal justice system, it falls apart. Every time, before a big trial, I stress with the jurors the importance of their role. After military service, being a juror is one of the greatest ways one could serve his country. Having a fair trial with a jury of peers is of crucial importance.”
Currently, Merriweather is working on establishing an “Expungement Clinic” because, he says, “sometimes the community needs to give ex-offenders, who have outgrown their mistakes, a hand up and release them from what they have already been held accountable. These people have distanced themselves from past transgressions. Allowing them to move on without their past holding them back advances not only the ex-offender but the community as a whole.”
Merriweather also believes, “Treating mental health and addiction while holding people responsible for the crimes they commit helps to create a path of recovery while reducing crime.”
Above all, he says, “Demonstrating a Christian heart in the work I do is a priority.”
Merriweather also continues to be involved at St. Peter’s, where he “has been a real blessing to our confirmation program,” notes Jesuit Father John Michalowski, parochial vicar. “He brings an enthusiasm for Jesus Christ and for the Catholic faith. His sharing with the young people about where he finds God reveals the depth of his prayer life. He is able to find God in both his personal and professional life. St. Ignatius would be delighted.”
— Lisa Geraci, Correspondent