Judge Payne retired as a District Court Judge after more than 22 years on the bench. He served as a Presiding Judge, was twice elected to be the Chair of the Board of District Court Judges, was selected as a Judge of the Year, served as the Supervising Judge for the Grand Jury Panel of District Court Judges, and is currently serving on the Constitutional Legislative Ethics Committee. He has worked as a mediator since his retirement in 2010. Judge Payne has extensive experience in civil, domestic, and probate matters.