Craig Collins, Pittsburgh ’94, is a district court judge serving Gaston County, North Carolina. As a trial judge, he presides primarily over criminal, traffic, and domestic cases.
Collins and some local attorneys came together on one particularly salient case and was featured on the local news for their compassion and impact.
As Collins recalls, “One day I was presiding in traffic court. It was a routine day, handling primarily DWI trials. Traffic Court can be very busy, as we move from case to case quickly. As this man’s lawyer spoke about his life, I was amazed at his service to our nation. Most young men and women who sign up for military service know that they might be asked to risk their lives for our nation. But I doubt many think about the real chance of returning from war having seen and experienced the horrors of war. And the lack of support our government then gives these men and women pushes many into depression and substance abuse.”
“The attorney in the interview was responsible for raising the money to help this veteran. I reached out to another attorney who handles a lot of our mental health cases to get his assistance. Further, I connected the defendant with The Gateway, which is a hub to help people in need for any number of concerns, including mental health, substance abuse, financial, and employment. Many have been instrumental in helping him.”
After graduating from Pitt in 1994, Brother Collins attended Villanova School of Law, graduating in 1997, where he then spent nine years as an assistant district attorney. After that he opened the Law Office of Craig Collins, before being appoint to the 27A District Court in 2015.
He served as a trustee for Gaston College, the local community college, from 2015-2019.
Brother Collins is a Founder of the Pennsylvania Iota Chapter in 1990. Since moving to North Carolina, Collins served on North Carolina Epsilon chapter advisory board as the Fraternity was being founded at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His nephew is also a Phi and served North Carolina Epsilon as its chapter president.
