Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested a former Mecklenburg County judge and charged him with having fake tags on his vehicle, cocaine and drug paraphernalia this week.
An officer arrested Charles "Casey" Viser on Monday, according to an affidavit filed in court. An arrest affidavit revealed that a police officer initially pulled Viser over for having a fictitious tag. During the stop, the officer noticed an open container of alcohol in the passenger floorboard.
Officer Found a Jar Containing 0.2g of Cocaine, Straw Laced with Cocaine Residue in the Vehicle
During a subsequent search of Viser's Mercedes SUV, the arrest sheet said the officer "located a jar containing .2g of a white powder substance that is consistent with cocaine, a straw with white residue that is consistent with the introduction of cocaine into the body in a bag near the center console, and an empty jar in the defendant's pocket with the same white powdery residue."
Upon his arrest, Viser was booked into the Mecklenburg County jail, and was released within hours after he posted a $2,500 bond. He was charged with felony possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Who is Charles 'Casey' Viser?
Viser was elected in 2020 to an eight-year term in superior court, but he abruptly stepped away from the bench and resigned just two years after the election. A Charlotte native, Viser first joined the Mecklenburg bench in 2013 when he was appointed by then-Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, to fill a district court vacancy.
He lost re-election the next year, but McCrory again appointed him to a position in 2015, that time as a special judge in superior court.
