Judge sets removal hearing for Cabarrus court clerk four days before GOP primary
A Superior Court judge has set a removal hearing for Cabarrus County Clerk of Court Bill Baggs, a Republican running for reelection this year, just four days before the March primary.
In an order filed Monday, Judge Edwin Wilson Jr. concluded that a complaint alleging misconduct and mental or physical incapacity meets the legal threshold to proceed under North Carolina law. The order does not remove Baggs from office but schedules a hearing on the merits of the complaint for Feb. 27, days before voters head to the polls. Baggs has served as clerk since 2010 and faces two opponents in the Republican primary race.
A judge’s decision to remove a clerk from office does not automatically remove that person from the ballot.
The removal petition was filed Jan. 13 by Keith Fitch, a Cabarrus County resident, according to the sworn affidavit.
Asked to comment on the court filing, Baggs told The Charlotte Observer he would consult his attorney first.
Fitch alleges that Baggs lacks the mental or physical capacity to perform his duties as clerk. According to the filing, Baggs has lived in an assisted living facility for more than a year, cannot live independently and must be transported to the courthouse. The affidavit further claims that Baggs is frequently absent from the office or present for only limited hours and, at times, does not recognize people he has known or worked with for years.
Fitch’s complaint also describes a pattern of alleged misconduct toward employees, including the use of demeaning and profane language especially toward women, appearance-based insults, and making obscene gestures such as giving “the middle finger” in the courthouse.
Wilson found that the affidavit alleges specific acts which, if proven, could justify suspension or removal under state law. However, he declined to suspend Baggs from office while the case is pending, writing that there is no immediate or irreparable harm to the public if Baggs remains in his position for now.
The Cabarrus case follows a recent removal petition against Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden that was dismissed without prejudice after a judge found it lacked required approval from prosecutors. In that case, the district attorney requested a State Bureau of Investigation review, leaving open the possibility the petition could be refiled.
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM.
