After more than 24 years on the judicial bench, Mecklenburg County District Court Judge Rickye McKoy-Mitchell says she will retire effective Sept. 1, 2022.

McKoy-Mitchell, a juvenile court judge, made the announcement on Dec. 31, adding that her commitment to the community and children “will never retire.”

McKoy-Mitchell mainly presided over juvenile court, hearing delinquency and foster care cases throughout her tenure.

Before her judicial position, she worked as an assistant district attorney for Mecklenburg County, a senior trial attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an attorney advisor for the Social Security Administration, and a staff attorney for the Legal Services of Southern Piedmont.

In a video announcing her retirement, McKoy-Mitchell said she’s been a voice for the voiceless and an advocate for “our incredibly gifted youth.”

She pointed to her work on racial equity and social justice issues and spearheading non-traditional partnerships between the courts and the community, including Lunch with a Lawyer, a program she created that lets eighth-grade students shadow attorneys as they work in the court system.

McKoy-Mitchell said her retirement is not a farewell but a next step.

“God has given me a tremendous platform on the Judicial Bench through which I hope I have used my voice to make a difference…I look forward to collaborative opportunities to positively impact the lives of children and the entire community for years to come,” she said.