Chief Magistrate Khalif Rhodes told reporters Friday that he is resigning from his role. Rhodes who took on the position in 2017 had recieved criticism from Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney for his stance on bail reform. Part of the changes Rhodes helped to implement included reduced or eliminated bail minimums and allowing more people to be released from jail with electronic monitoring.
Rhodes said he submitted his resignation in April and planned to stepdown in July but stayed on longer than expected. Any criticism he recieved wasn't a factor in his decision he said.
"When I sat at the table almost two years ago and we started to do this work, I knew we would encounter criticism. John F. Kennedy, when talking about going to the moon, said, 'we choose to do this work not because it's easy but because it's hard and because it will be a true measure and test of our abilities.' I looked at this as a true measure and test of our abilities. Unlike any other county in the country, Mecklenburg County is proud to do what we did," Rhodes said.
Rhodes plans to return to private practice. He ran for a district court judge position in 2018 but lost to Karen McCallum.
