Michael Dean Parker graduated Magna Cum Laude with his B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from North Carolina State University in 1986.  He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989.  He began his career as a prosecutor in the Twentieth District of North Carolina in 1989.  From 1989 to 1995, Parker worked as an Assistant District Attorney trying cases in Juvenile, District and Superior Courts.  Parker has tried, as lead prosecutor, all types of criminal offenses, from misdemeanors in District Court to capital murders.  In 1996, Parker was promoted to Chief Assistant District Attorney and became responsible for supervising the prosecution of homicides in the district and supervising the prosecutors

in all the counties.  Parker has tried more than 150 jury trials (estimated).  As Chief Assistant District Attorney for the Twentieth District, Parker supervised 16 Assistant District Attorneys, the prosecution of all criminal cases in all four counties and was responsible for in house training for the prosecutors.  Parker was appointed District Attorney on 1 November 2004.   At that time, the Twentieth District included Richmond, Anson, Stanly and Union Counties.  On 1 January 2007, the Twentieth District split with Union County becoming Prosecutorial District 20B and Parker remained District Attorney of Prosecutorial District 20A.  Prosecutorial District 20A includes Richmond, Anson and Stanly Counties.  Currently, Parker’s staff includes 10 Assistant District Attorneys and nine support staff and various grant positions.

During his nearly 18 years as a prosecutor, Parker has taught trial advocacy courses on such topics as capital case prosecution, sexual assault prosecution, domestic violence prosecution, domestic violence homicide prosecution, DWI prosecution, drug prosecution and vehicular homicide prosecution.  Additionally, Parker has taught courses in forensic medical evidence, child sexual abuse, discovery in capital cases, adult learning principles, visual aids, case preparation and organization, effective critiquing skills, effective file management, 404B evidence, themes in criminal prosecutions and ethics. 

Parker is a nationally recognized speaker and has presented for the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, the North Carolina Institute of Governments, the South Carolina Solicitor’s Association, the Florida Prosecuting Attorney’s Association, the New York Prosecutor Training Institute, the Oklahoma District Attorney’s Conference, the Oklahoma Regional Community Policing Institute, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the American Prosecutor’s Research Institute’s National Traffic Law Center, the National Trial Advocacy Center, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Association of Michigan, the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, the Iowa County Attorney’s Association and West Virginia Prosecution Training Institute.  Parker is a regular presenter at the North Carolina New Prosecutor’s Course and NHTSA’s Prosecutor Faculty Development Course. 

Parker has authored or co-authored trial advocacy courses on such topics as sexual assault, DWI, domestic violence, homicide and evidentiary issues.  Parker co-wrote an Evidence Based Domestic Violence Prosecution Curriculum Manual (2001), wrote Criminal Discovery in North Carolina (2002) and also in 2002, Parker acted in and helped produce Time to Make a Difference, a domestic violence training video based on his Evidence Based Domestic Violence Prosecution Course.  Parker is currently working on a book on themes and arguments in criminal cases. 

            Parker served on the North Carolina Conference of District Attorney’s Training Committee from 1995-2002, the Domestic Violence Training Committee and the Trial Advocacy Training Committee from 1998-2002.  He is past President of the Moore County Bar Association and former member of the Twentieth District’s Grievance Committee.   Parker received the 2000 North Carolina Conference of District Attorney’s Experienced Prosecutor Distinguished Service Award for his work in training North Carolina’s Prosecutors.  In 2006, Parker was appointed to the Rural Courts Commission by the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court for a three year term.

            Parker is 43 years old and is married to the former Carol Ward of Greensboro, North Carolina.  Michael and Carol have been married 20 years.  Carol graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1985 with a BS Degree in Biology and obtained her Masters in Public Administration from North Carolina State University in 1989.  Carol and Michael have two sons, Matthew and Garin.  The Parkers make their home in Marston, North Carolina in Richmond County and spend their free time on the family farm. 

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