James M. Lupton

For over 27 years now I have defended thousands of clients in Carteret County on charges ranging from minor traffic offenses to driving while impaired and crimes from simple drug offenses all the way to murder. I appreciated the responsibility to each client to give them my all to achieve the best possible outcome. In my first five years after law school, I served as an Assistant District Attorney, prosecuting the vast majority of both felony and misdemeanor jury trials in Carteret County.

I am Board Certified by the North Carolina State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization in State Criminal law, having been recertified every 5 years since 2009. I hold an AV Preeminent® peer review rating by Martindale-Hubbard: This is the highest peer rating standard and is awarded to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers. In 2010, my peers recognized my expertise in the field of Criminal Law and included me in the Legal Elite in Business North Carolina Magazine.
I am licensed to practice before the North Carolina State Courts, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and the United States Supreme Court.
I grew up in New Bern, North Carolina, graduated with a degree in business from Wake Forest University in 1987, cum laude, and received my law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1992. I am a member of the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Criminal Defense Section, 3B Judicial District Bar (past president), Carteret County Bar Association, and Eastern North Carolina Inn of Court.
I am married with 6 children, and enjoy being in the water, on a trail, and active in the community.