Mr. Dark was born in Siler City, North Carolina in 1953 and graduated from high school there in 1971. In 1975 he graduated from Appalachian State University with a BSBA and received his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1979.

Since 1995 Mr. Dark has been practicing criminal and traffic law within the 25th Judicial District, which comprises Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties. Prior to private practice he was an Assistant District Attorney working in all three counties of the district. While with the DA's Office Mr. Dark prosecuted everything from DWI's to capital murder cases.