After almost 4 years behind bars, Julius Bishop has been discovered responsible in a case he says was constructed on lies and abuse of energy by his ex-girlfriend, a Justice of the Peace in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
Regardless of his April 5 conviction, Bishop was given credit score for time served and walked free, launched from the ordeal that upended his life in 2021.
The jury convicted Bishop of assault on a feminine, assault by strangulation, speaking threats, and violating a protecting order — all stemming from a 2021 home violence case involving his former accomplice, Ashley Blackwell, an area decide. He was acquitted of stalking.
The decision capped a protracted and tangled authorized battle marked by accusations of corruption, claims of entrapment, and questions in regards to the integrity of the justice system itself. Bishop, now 49, has maintained since day one which he was framed. For 3 and a half years, he’s informed anybody who would pay attention — from jailhouse workers to reporters — that Blackwell misused her function as a Justice of the Peace to orchestrate his downfall.
Jurors deliberated lower than two hours earlier than discovering him responsible on all however one cost. As a result of Bishop has already spent 1,328 days in jail awaiting trial — held on a $100,000 bond — he can be launched underneath supervision after processing. His legal professional, Samuel Randall, confirmed Bishop will enchantment the convictions to the North Carolina Courtroom of Appeals.
From Romance to Spoil
On July 9, 2021, the couple’s relationship imploded. They had been dwelling collectively, discussing beginning a household. Blackwell, who labored in a single day shifts as a Justice of the Peace, was napping on the sofa after a protracted shift when Bishop woke her, grousing over emails she had despatched to a longtime pal. She greeted the pal with “Southern phrases” like “Hey child” and “Hello love,” which enraged Bishop, taking it as proof she was dishonest.
Arguments and accusations had been simmering for years. They’d one another’s social media passwords, and each had suspected infidelity. On the day in query, the standoff exploded into violence. House safety footage, later recovered by Blackwell after Bishop deleted it, captured the assault. In court docket, jurors watched as Bishop struck Blackwell with a cellphone, dragged her by her shirt, threw objects, and repeatedly choked her — all whereas shouting threats.
“Once you [expletive] with the satan, you get the satan,” he yelled within the video. “In case you don’t shut up, I’m going to sock you.”
Bishop additionally took a topless picture of Blackwell with out her consent and despatched it to a male coworker, in keeping with testimony. The following day, Blackwell obtained a home violence protecting order.
‘Going to Set Me Up‘
Even earlier than his arrest, Bishop informed a 911 dispatcher, “A Justice of the Peace goes to set me up,” insisting he by no means hit or touched Blackwell. The 18-minute name included sobbing, pleas of innocence, and him calling himself a “scorned man.” He additionally learn a message Blackwell had despatched him: “I’m sorry it got here to this. You probably did this, not me. You went too far. I like you, however you crossed too many strains.”
His bond remained low for just a few months till a December 2021 grand jury indictment added new prices — together with felony stalking and strangulation. Two weeks later, his bond spiked to $100,000. Bishop couldn’t afford to pay and remained in jail.
Whereas behind bars, Bishop wrote eight letters to court docket officers, arguing that Blackwell and the police filed false prices and violated his constitutional rights. He additionally went public along with his story in early 2025, chatting with WBTV from jail and detailing what he described as a focused marketing campaign by Blackwell to wreck his life.
Questions of Credibility
Bishop’s claims had been bolstered by an unrelated grievance filed in 2023 by one other county Justice of the Peace, Cheryl Ivery, who accused Blackwell of blurring the strains between her skilled duties and private life. Ivery claimed Blackwell admitted Bishop caught her dishonest and initially stated he hadn’t touched her throughout their argument, solely to later file prices. The grievance additionally alleged Blackwell leaned on her relationship with a high decide to affect Bishop’s case.
That decide, Elizabeth Trosch, did later recuse herself, however not earlier than approving the protecting order towards Bishop.
In court docket final week, Bishop’s legal professional revisited these issues. He argued that Blackwell “cherry-picked” info to construct her case and used her authorized data as a Justice of the Peace to her benefit. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the video confirmed his shopper was within the mistaken. “I’m not right here to promote you that his actions had been affordable,” Randall informed jurors. “He assaulted the crap out of her.”
He urged jurors to scrutinize the stalking and strangulation prices, however jurors solely acquitted Bishop of the previous. The stalking cost had partially stemmed from Bishop emailing Blackwell about lease and making an attempt to return to the shared dwelling on move-in day.
Prosecutor Terra Varnes painted a unique image: a person bent on revenge. “As soon as he completed assaulting Ashley’s physique,” she stated, “he moved on to their dwelling.” Bishop later destroyed property, posted accusations of infidelity on-line, and as soon as left a torn picture marked “adultery is dangerous character” at Blackwell’s office, violating the protecting order.
Not the Closing Phrase
Whereas the case has concluded in Mecklenburg County Superior Courtroom, Bishop’s authorized battle is way from over. With an enchantment in movement and a protracted path of accusations nonetheless hanging within the air, questions linger about what actually occurred between Bishop and Blackwell — and whether or not the system dealt with it pretty.
“I’ve been right here for 3 years,” Bishop informed WBTV earlier this 12 months. “And I’ve misplaced eight relations that I ought to have buried within the floor.”
His launch marks the tip of 1 chapter. However one other begins within the appellate enviornment.
