North Carolina Court of Appeals
Intermediate appellate court of North Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The North Carolina Court of Appeals (in case citation, N.C. Ct. App.) is the only intermediate appellate court in the state of North Carolina. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating panels of three.[1] The Court of Appeals was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1967 after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1965 which "authorized the creation of an intermediate court of appeals to relieve pressure on the North Carolina Supreme Court."[2]
| North Carolina Court of Appeals | |
|---|---|
Seal of the North Carolina Court of Appeals | |
Court of Appeals Building | |
| Established | 1967 |
| Location | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Composition method | Partisan election |
| Authorised by | Constitution of North Carolina |
| Appeals to | North Carolina Supreme Court |
| Judge term length | 8 years (mandatory retirement at the age of 76) |
| Number of positions | 15 |
| Website | Court of Appeals |
| Chief Judge | |
| Currently | Chris Dillon |
Judges serve eight-year terms and are elected in statewide elections. The General Assembly made Court of Appeals elections non-partisan starting with the 2004 elections, but later made them partisan again after the 2016 elections.[3]
History
The creation of a Court of Appeals in North Carolina was first authorized by a constitutional amendment in 1965, but did not occur until a statute was made effective on January 1, 1967.[4]
Function
The Court of Appeals, along with the Supreme Court, constitute the Appellate Division within North Carolina's unified court system, the General Court of Justice.[5] Its structure is determined by statute.[6]
The court comprises 15 members, with one designated as a chief judge by the chief justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina.[5] Judges of the court are elected in statewide races to serve eight-year terms.[7] Judges of the court convene in three member panels to hear cases. Rulings of one panel are binding upon other panels of the court and lower courts and can only be overruled by the Supreme Court.[8]
Current judges
| Seat | Name | Born | Start | Term ends[a] | Mandatory retirement[b] | Party | Law school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Chris Dillon, Chief Judge | April 20, 1965 | January 1, 2013 | 2028 | April 30, 2041 | Republican | UNC |
| 9 | Donna Stroud | June 28, 1964 | January 1, 2007 | 2030 | June 30, 2040 | Republican | Campbell |
| 10 | John Tyson | July 14, 1953 | January 1, 2015[c] | 2030 | July 31, 2029 | Republican | Campbell |
| 14 | Valerie Zachary | August 28, 1962 | July 31, 2015 | 2032 | August 31, 2038 | Republican | Harvard |
| 1 | John Arrowood | November 4, 1956 | April 24, 2017[d] | 2026 | November 30, 2032 | Democratic | UNC |
| 3 | Allegra Collins | January 13, 1972 | January 1, 2019 | 2026 | January 31, 2048 | Democratic | Campbell |
| 2 | Toby Hampson | December 20, 1975 | January 1, 2019 | 2026 | December 31, 2051 | Democratic | Campbell |
| 7 | Jeff Carpenter | 1972 (age 53–54) | January 1, 2021 | 2028 | August 31, 2048 | Republican | Campbell |
| 4 | April Wood | August 10, 1973 | January 1, 2021 | 2028 | 2049 | Republican | Regent |
| 5 | Fred Gore | 1974 (age 51–52) | January 1, 2021 | 2028 | 2050 | Republican | Appalachian |
| 13 | Jefferson Griffin | October 7, 1980 | January 1, 2021 | 2028 | October 31, 2056 | Republican | NCCU |
| 8 | Julee Flood | July 7, 1961 | January 1, 2023 | 2030 | July 31, 2037 | Republican | UNH |
| 11 | Michael Stading | January 24, 1981 | January 1, 2023 | 2030 | January 31, 2057 | Republican | Campbell |
| 12 | Tom Murry | May 8, 1977 | January 1, 2025 | 2032 | May 31, 2053 | Republican | Campbell |
| 15 | Chris Freeman | August 5, 1977 | January 1, 2025 | 2032 | August 31, 2053 | Republican | Regent |
- Term ends Dec. 31 of the year listed.
- Previously elected to Seat 13 in 2000, and took office January 1, 2001 – December 31, 2008.
- Previously appointed to Seat 12 and took office September 7, 2007 – December 31, 2008.
Former judges
A partial list of former judges is listed below:[10]
- Hunter Murphy
- Allison Riggs
- Lucy Inman
- Darren Jackson
- Christopher Brook
- Wanda Bryant
- Linda McGee
- Reuben Young
- Mark A. Davis
- Ann Marie Calabria
- Rick Elmore
- Douglas McCullough
- Linda Stephens
- Wendy Enochs
- Martha A. Geer
- Sanford L. Steelman Jr.
- Lisa Bell
- Sam Ervin, IV
- Robert C. Hunter
- Robert N. Hunter Jr.
- John C. Martin
- Cressie Thigpen
- Cheri Beasley
- Barbara Jackson
- James A. Wynn Jr.
- Eric L. Levinson
- Hugh Brown Campbell Jr.
- Robin E. Hudson
- Patricia Timmons-Goodson
- Loretta Copeland Biggs
- Robert H. Edmunds Jr.
- Mark Martin
- Sarah Parker
- Alan Z. Thornburg
- Robert F. Orr
- John Webb
- Jack L. Cozort
- John B. Lewis Jr.
- Ralph A. Walker
- Sidney S. Eagles Jr.
- Joe John
- S. Gerald Arnold
- Donald L. Smith
- Allyson Kay Duncan
- Burley Mitchell
- Clifton E. Johnson
- Willis Whichard
- Charles Becton
- Richard Erwin
- Robert M. Martin
- Fred Hedrick
- James M. Baley Jr.
- Walter E. Brock
- David M. Britt
- James C. Farthing
- Naomi E. Morris
- Raymond B. Mallard
- Hugh B. Campbell
- Francis M. Parker
- Earl W. Vaughn