SALISBURY — Evan S. Hiatt joined the law firm of Whitley, Jordan, Inge & Rary, P.A., in January.

Hiatt was born and raised in Rowan County. After graduating from East Rowan High School, he attended Appalachian State University where he earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary history education and got his law degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he participated in student government and served as the third year class president and participated with the James and Carolyn Davis Society. He interned in the offices of Chief Judge Frank D. Whitney (Western District of North Carolina, U.S. District Court) and Chief Justice Paul M. Newby (North Carolina Supreme Court).

He began practicing law in Kinston at the law firm of Perry, Perry and Perry and focused on defending clients accused of traffic and criminal offenses in Wayne, Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties as well as domestic cases in family court.

He was admitted to practice law in North Carolina in 2019. He will continue representing clients accused of traffic offenses, impaired driving and misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses. He will also handle child support and matters in abuse, neglect and dependency court, commonly referred to as “DSS Court.”

“Growing up in Rowan County, I learned to appreciate hard work and family values,” Hiatt said in a news release. “This foundation led me to want to be a lawyer so that I could be in a position to be a positive light to clients who are facing difficult life circumstances and to help people walk through these hard times.”

Hiatt and his wife, Baker, have a daughter, Palmer, and they live in the East Rowan area.

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