Supreme Court of North Carolina
| Supreme Court of North Carolina | |||
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| Court information | |||
| Justices: | 7 | ||
| Founded: | 1799 | ||
| Location: | Raleigh, North Carolina | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Non-partisan election of judges | ||
| Term: | 8 years | ||
| Active justices | |||
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North Carolina • WikiProject North Carolina • North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission • | |||
| Former justices | |||
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court, and is located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Justices
The current justices of the court are:| Judge | Term | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice Sarah Parker | 1992-2014 | Democratic | |
| Justice Mark Martin | 1998-2014 | Republican | |
| Justice Paul Martin Newby | 2004-2020 | Republican | |
| Justice Robin Hudson | 2006-2014 | Democratic | |
| Justice Robert H. Edmunds, Jr. | 2001-2016 | Republican | |
| Justice Cheri Beasley | 12/2012-2014 | Democratic | |
| Justice Barbara Jackson | 2011-2018 | Republican |
Jurisdiction
The primary function of the Supreme Court is to decide questions of law that have arisen in the lower courts and before state administrative agencies, including Court of Appeals cases that are reviewed upon petition.[1] Each justice writes several hundred printed pages of published opinions each year.
Judicial selection
The court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices has varied from time to time. In 1987, the decision on the selection process of Supreme Court justices went to the Judicial selection Study Commission. The Commission recommended that the justices from that point on be appointed. This is a change from the past when the justices were elected. This idea, however, has not gained the votes necessary in the House of Representatives. Currently, justices are selected through general elections.[2]
Qualifications
All judges on the Supreme Court of North Carolina must retire before the last day of the month in which he turns 72.[3]
Caseloads
| Fiscal Year | Pending at start of fiscal year | Appeals filed | Appeals disposed | Petitions filed | Petitions disposed | Pending at end of fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 225 | 127 | 105 | 642 | 648 | 241 |
| 2009 | 252 | 147 | 118 | 589 | 618 | 252 |
| 2008 | 286 | 204 | 204 | 569 | 590 | 265 |
| 2007 | 239 | 246 | 214 | 539 | 530 | 280 |
Salaries
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina earns $140,932 annually, while associate justices earn $137,249, as of January 2010.[5][6]
News
Governor Perdue to appoint Timmons-Goodson's replacement
Some controversy has arisen over outgoing Gov. Bev Perdue's decision to appoint a Supreme Court justice before the end of her term in 2012.
Due to Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson's upcoming retirement on Dec. 17, 2012, the Governor is allowed to appoint a replacement who will serve until the next general election in 2014. An executive order placed by Gov. Perdue in 2011 requires her to choose such court appointments from a list of candidates provided by the North Carolina Judicial Nominating Commission. However, the commission told the Governor that they do not have enough time to vet candidates before she leaves office. So, the Governor is planning to select and appoint the new justice herself.
Because Gov. Perdue is a Democrat and the Governor-elect, Pat McCrory, is a Republican, some are concerned that bypassing the nominating commission is a political move. Perdue is likely to appoint a Democratic successor for Justice Timmons-Goodson, who is also a Democrat. Others point out that it is the Governor's constitutional right to appoint justices to Supreme Court vacancies, with or without the commission.[7]
Notable decisions
History of the court
In 1799, the first appellate court, the Court of Conference, was created in the state. The court sat en banc twice each year. In 1805, the court was renamed the "Supreme Court," and in 1810, the court was ordered to reduce the number of opinions and deliver them viva voce in open court.[8]
From 1818 to 1868
In this time, the justices on the court were selected by the General Assembly and were selected for life terms. In the case of a vacancy, the Governor of the state appointed a replacement that would serve on the bench until the end of the next session of the General Assembly.[9]
After 1868
The constitution of 1868 changed the judiciary in four main ways. One, the court was created out of the constitution, two, the Supreme Court increased from three to five, three, responsibility for the selection of court justices was transferred from the legislature to the people, and finally, the "formerly separate law and equity jurisdictions of the Court into a single 'form of action for the enforcement or protection of private rights or the redress of private wrongs.'"[10]
Recent history
In 1987, the decision on the selection process of Supreme Court justices went to the Judicial selection Study Commission. This move was suggested by then Chief Justice James Exum Jr. The Commission recommended that the justices from that point on be appointed. This is a change from the past when the justices were elected. This idea, however, has not gained the votes necessary in the House of Representatives. Currently, justices are selected through general elections.[11]
Courthouse
The Supreme Court is housed in the Law and Justice Building, located across from the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh, North Carolina. The building was built in 1940 and underwent major renovations in 2005-2007.[12]
Notable firsts
See also
- Judicial Elections
- North Carolina Supreme Court
- North Carolina Court of Appeals
- North Carolina judicial news
- North Carolina blogs
External links
- North Carolina Supreme Court Official Site
- History of the NC Supreme Court
- NC Manual of 1913 by Robert Digges Wimberly Connor
- Supreme Court Homecoming Set for May 11, 2007
- Fringe Tactics: Special Interest Groups Target Judicial Races
- Constitution of North Carolina: Supreme Court
References
- ↑ http://www.nccourts.org/Courts/Default.asp
- ↑ Supreme Court of North Carolina
- ↑ Constitution of North Carolina
- ↑ The North Carolina Court System, "NC Judicial Branch Annual Reports"
- ↑ The Sunshine Review, "North Carolina state government salary," August 17, 2011
- ↑ The National Center for State Courts, "Judicial Salary Resource Center" as of Jan. 1, 2010
- ↑ Associated Press via ABC Local, "Perdue to appoint state supreme court judge", November 29, 2012
- ↑ http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/copyright/sc/facts.html
- ↑ http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/copyright/sc/facts.html
- ↑ http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/copyright/sc/facts.html
- ↑ http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/copyright/sc/facts.html
- ↑ http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/573249.html
Portions of this article have been taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Copyright Notice can be found here.
2012
To organize the columns, click on the arrows in the column heading.| Candidate | Incumbency | Office | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Martin Newby | Yes | 51.90% | ||
| Sam Ervin | No | 48.10% |
2010
- See also: 2010 State Supreme Court elections
Incumbent Edward Thomas Brady competed against challengers Robert C. Hunter and Barbara Jackson. Barbara Jackson succeeded with 51.88% of the vote.
| Supreme Court of North Carolina 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Barbara Jackson |
n/a | 51.88'% | ||
| Edward Thomas Brady | n/a | n/a | ||
| Robert C. Hunter | n/a | n/a | ||
2008
- See also: State Supreme Court elections, 2008
Incumbent Robert Edmunds defeated challenger Suzanne Reynolds.
| Supreme Court of North Carolina 2008 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Robert Edmunds |
n/a | 51.04% | ||
| Suzanne Reynolds | n/a | n/a | ||
Justices are listed roughly in reverse chronological order. Note that dates in parentheses are for service as Chief Justice only. Many Chief Justices have also served as associate justices.
21st Century
- George Wainwright Jr
- I. Beverly Lake Jr, Chief Justice (2001-2006)
- G.K. Butterfield
20th Century
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19th Century Chief Justices
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| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current |
Sarah Parker • Mark Martin • Paul Martin Newby • Robin Hudson • Robert H. Edmunds, Jr. • Cheri Beasley • Barbara Jackson • | ||
| Former | Edward Thomas Brady • | ||
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