James was born and raised in Easley, South Carolina. He is a United States Army Veteran, serving 25 years Active Duty as a Military Police Officer, with two overseas assignments. After retirement, James continued his service as a sworn law enforcement officer for 7 years in the State of Minnesota. He served the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) as their Chief Law Enforcement Officer.

James has a wealth of training and knowledge in Law Enforcement and Critical Incident Response at Tribal, City, County, State, and Federal levels.

In his free time, James enjoys attending all types of auto racing events, other sporting events, concerts, and traveling.

James is married to his wife Michele, and they reside in New Prague.