Nixon, Doermann, & Edwards, PLLC

09/02/2026

Last week, Guilford District Court Judge Ashley Watlington-Simms sentenced Assistant Public DefenderJuan Zuluaga to five days in jail for criminal contempt. Ian McDowell also reports on her controversial 2023 seizure of a News & Record reporter’s notes.

https://www.yesweekly.com/news/public-defender-jailed-by-judge/article_dbe7bd32-6f93-49eb-b957-b768829b123c.html

08/28/2026

Statement from Attorney Preston Edwards on behalf of Juan Zuluaga.

Juan Zuluaga has dedicated his life and career to public service. Mr. Zuluaga, a public defender with the Guilford County Public Defender’s Office, served twenty-nine years in the United States Army. He served seventeen years as an enlisted infantryman. His
service included time with the 3rd Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne, the Florida National Guard, and the North Carolina National Guard where he deployed to Iraq as an infantry team leader. He then was commissioned as an officer in 2008 and again deployed as a
platoon leader in an Armor Company attached to the 30th Heavy Separate Brigade of the North Carolina National Guard. Finally, he was appointed as an Assistant Judge Advocate General until he was medically retired as a fully disabled veteran.
He began his legal career in private practice in 2005 but quickly moved to the public defender’s o􀆯ice in 2010. He has served our community as a public defender since that time. In a career spanning twenty-one years, Mr. Zuluaga has been a steadfast and zealous advocate for his clients. Mr. Zuluaga is a father of four children, one of whom is in heaven, and lives with his children and his wife, Erika, in Winston Salem, NC.
On August 24th, 2026, he was charged and convicted of criminal contempt in a summary contempt proceeding by Judge Ashley Watlington-Sims. In this hearing, the judge is the accuser, the judge, and the jury. As a result of this hearing, he was sentenced to five days in the Guilford County Jail. He has since appealed this conviction to the Superior Court of North Carolina and a hearing will be held on October 5th, 2026. At this hearing, he
will be allowed to present evidence in his own defense and cross-examine any witnesses against him.
While the rules of professional conduct which bind all licensed attorneys prohibit speaking on the specific merits of the case, Mr. Zuluaga does refute the allegations and intends to defend himself in court. We look forward to proving his innocence and ensuring
that the right for defendants to have zealous advocates in court is not infringed by fear of incarceration.

08/28/2026

https://greensborothread.com/news/politics-news/courts-justice/judge-holds-public-defender-in-contempt/

A Guilford County assistant public defender is in jail after a district court judge found him in contempt of court. On Monday, he was sentenced to a week in jail.

11/04/2025

There are times in life when some things end, and new things begin. On November 4th, 2024, Jim and I started the law firm of Doermann Edwards. Since that time, we have enjoyed tremendous success, but the time of Doermann Edwards is now at an end.

Where there are endings, there are also beginnings. We are thrilled to announce the merger of Doermann Edwards and the Law Offices of Georgia Nixon into the firm of Nixon, Doermann, and Edwards starting on January 1st, 2026! We will continue to serve the greater Triad region including Guilford County (Greensboro and High Point), Rockingham County, Alamance County, Randolph County and Forsyth County. While our new firm will continue to primarily focus on criminal defense, we also will handle personal injury, medical malpractice and general business litigation matters, as well.

Georgia Nixon, our Senior Partner and CEO, is one of the preeminent criminal defense attorneys in the State of North Carolina and the United States. She has tried more than 100 jury trials in her storied career, two of which have been turned into A&E Documentaries. She has served as President of the High Point Bar Association and served for thirteen years on the Jamestown Town Council. She is a board-certified specialist in state and federal Criminal Law. With a career spanning more than three decades, Georgia Nixon is a legend in the practice of criminal defense in North Carolina.

Jim Doermann, Partner and General Counsel, is a three-time consecutive awardee of the Superlawyer’s Rising Star award. He served our country in the Marine Corps as a Captain and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an artillery officer. After starting his career in finance with the prestigious firm Ernst & Young, he hung a shingle and began practicing criminal defense. He is currently the President-Elect for the Guilford County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association for the 2026 year. A solo practitioner for six years prior to partnering with Preston Edwards, Jim brings extensive business and practice experience to this new venture.

Preston Edwards, Partner and CFO, is also a three-time consecutive awardee of the Superlawyer’s Rising Star award. He served in the United States Army Reserves for four years prior to receiving an honorable discharge. He currently serves as the Newsletter Editor for the Greensboro Bar Association and Secretary of the Guilford County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He also is an Adjunct Professor at the Elon University School of Law serving as a coach for the Moot Court Program. Starting his career as a businessman rather than a lawyer, he brings a wealth of knowledge in operations and business to the partnership in conjunction with award winning prowess in criminal defense.

Together, the law firm of Nixon, Doermann, and Edwards looks to bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and talent to their clients. With locations in Greensboro and High Point, we will provide affordable legal services in convenient locations for the greater Triad area. Nixon, Doermann, and Edwards will officially open for business on January 1st, 2026.