North Carolina Court of Appeals
Encyclopedia
The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate appellate court
in the state of North Carolina
. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating groups of three. Judges serve eight-year terms and are elected in statewide non-partisan elections.
The Court of Appeals was created by the state legislature 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
."
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
in the state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating groups of three. Judges serve eight-year terms and are elected in statewide non-partisan elections.
The Court of Appeals was created by the state legislature 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
North Carolina Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...
."
Current judges
| Name | Born | Joined | Term Ends | Mandatory Retirement | Law School Attended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John C. Martin John C. Martin John Charles Martin is an American judge, currently Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Born in Durham, North Carolina, Martin earned an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University in 1965 and his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1967... , Chief Judge |
1943 | 1985-88, 1993 | 2016 | Nov. 9, 2015 | Wake Forest University School of Law Wake Forest University School of Law The Wake Forest University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of Wake Forest University. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Wake Forest University School of Law is a private American Bar Association accredited law school and is a member of the Association of American... |
| Cheri Beasley Cheri Beasley Cheri L. Beasley is a North Carolina lawyer and jurist who sits on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She was elected to the court in 2008, defeating incumbent Douglas McCullough... |
1966 | 1999 | 2014 | University of Tennessee College of Law University of Tennessee College of Law The University of Tennessee College of Law is the law school of the University of Tennessee located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1890, the school is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools.-The Law Center and the... |
|
| Wanda G. Bryant Wanda G. Bryant Wanda G. Bryant is an American judge, currently an Associate Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Born in Southport, North Carolina, Bryant earned an undergraduate degree in history and comparative area studies from Duke University in 1977, then earned her Juris Doctor degree from North... |
1956 | 2001-02, 2005 | 2012 | June 26, 2028 | North Carolina Central School of Law North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels.... |
| Ann Maria Calabria | 1947 | 2003 | 2018 | Oct. 31, 2019 | Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law is a private law school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1976, the law school is one of six graduate programs offered by Campbell University... |
| Rick Elmore Rick Elmore Rick Elmore is an American judge, currently serving as a judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Elmore earned his undergraduate degree in 1974 from Guilford College in North Carolina, and worked for the North Carolina Department of Correction before earning his Juris Doctor degree from... |
2003 | 2018 | North Carolina Central School of Law | ||
| Sam J. Ervin, IV Sam J. Ervin, IV Samuel James "Jimmy" Ervin IV is a North Carolina lawyer and jurist who sits on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He served as a state Utilities Commissioner before being elected to the court in 2008. He is the grandson of U.S. Sen... |
1955 | 2009 | 2016 | Nov. 18, 2027 | Harvard Law School Harvard Law School Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S... |
| Martha A. Geer Martha A. Geer Martha A. Geer is an American judge, currently serving as a judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Geer was born in Grinnell, Iowa and spent most of her childhood in Virginia, where her parents were teachers. Geer attended Bryn Mawr College and earned a degree in sociology before earning a... |
1958 | 2003 | 2018 | Nov. 24, 2030 | University of North Carolina School of Law University of North Carolina School of Law The University of North Carolina School of Law is a professional school within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the nation and is the oldest law school in North Carolina. It is consistently ranked in the top-tier... |
| Robert C. Hunter Robert C. Hunter Robert C. Hunter is an American jurist, currently a Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Hunter, born in Marion, North Carolina, earned a degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1966 before earning his Juris Doctor degree from the same... |
1944 | 1998 | 2014 | Jan. 14, 2016 | University of North Carolina School of Law |
| Robert N. Hunter, Jr. Robert N. Hunter, Jr. Robert Neal "Bob" Hunter, Jr. is a North Carolina lawyer and jurist who serves on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Hunter was elected to the court in 2008, defeating incument John S... |
1947 | 2009 | 2016 | March 30, 2019 | University of North Carolina School of Law |
| Douglas McCullough Douglas McCullough J. Douglas McCullough is an American lawyer and judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.-Education and career:After earning a history degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1967 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina in 1970, McCullough served... |
2001-08, 2011 | 2018 | University of South Carolina School of Law University of South Carolina School of Law The University of South Carolina School of Law, also known as South Carolina Law or SC Law, is one of the professional schools of the University of South Carolina. South Carolina Law was founded in 1867 in Columbia, South Carolina and is the only public and non-profit law school in the state of... |
||
| Linda M. McGee Linda M. McGee Linda M. McGee is an American judge, currently a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Born in Marion, North Carolina, McGee earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971 and her Juris Doctor degree from UNC-Chapel Hill two years later... |
1949 | 1995 | 2012 | Sept. 20, 2021 | University of North Carolina School of Law |
| Sanford L. Steelman, Jr. Sanford L. Steelman, Jr. Sanford L. Steelman, Jr. is an American judge, currently serving as a judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Steelman attended Davidson College, earning a degree in political science in 1973, and then a Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976... |
1951 | 2003 | 2018 | Sept. 11, 2023 | University of North Carolina School of Law |
| Linda Stephens Linda Stephens Linda Stephens is an American judge, currently serving on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She was first appointed to the Court of Appeals by Gov. Mike Easley in January 2006 and lost her seat in the general election of November 2006. Gov... |
2006 | 2016 | University of North Carolina School of Law | ||
| Donna Stroud Donna Stroud Donna S. Stroud is an American lawyer and jurist who was elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the November 2006 general election. From 2004 through the end of 2006, Stroud served as a state district court judge. Her bachelor's and law degrees are from Campbell University and its... |
1964 | 2007 | 2014 | Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law | |
| Cressie Thigpen Cressie Thigpen Cressie H. Thigpen, Jr. is a North Carolina lawyer and jurist who was appointed to a seat on the North Carolina Court of Appeals in August 2010. Governor Bev Perdue appointed Thigpen to replace Judge James A. Wynn, who had been appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals... |
1946 | 2010 | 2012 | Aug. 12, 2018 | Rutgers School of Law |
Former judges
- Barbara JacksonBarbara JacksonBarbara Jackson is an American attorney and jurist who was elected in 2010 to an eight-year term on the North Carolina Supreme Court....
- James A. Wynn, Jr.James A. Wynn, Jr.James Andrew Wynn, Jr. is an American jurist, currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and formerly on both the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the North Carolina Supreme Court....
- John M. TysonJohn M. TysonJohn Marsh Tyson is an American judge, who currently serves as a Recall Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, after completing an eight-year statewide elected term, and as an Emergency Superior Court Judge. At Tyson & Associates, he practiced landlord-tenant, land use, and real property...
- John S. ArrowoodJohn S. ArrowoodJohn S. Arrowood is an American attorney and judge who, in August 2007, was appointed to the North Carolina Court of Appeals by Governor Mike Easley, replacing Judge Eric L. Levinson, who had resigned to accept a federal appointment. He was defeated in the subsequent election by Judge Robert N...
- Eric L. LevinsonEric L. LevinsonEric L. Levinson is an American jurist and lawyer,who served as a judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law....
- Hugh Brown Campbell, Jr.
- Robin E. HudsonRobin E. HudsonRobin E. Hudson is an American jurist, currently serving as an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.Born in DeKalb County, Georgia, after studying philosophy and psychology at Yale University, Hudson earned a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976...
- Patricia Timmons-GoodsonPatricia Timmons-GoodsonPatricia 'Pat' Timmons-Goodson is an American judge, currently an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court....
- Robert H. Edmunds, Jr.Robert H. Edmunds, Jr.Robert Holt Edmunds, Jr. is an American judge, currently an Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.Born in Danville, Virginia, Edmunds moved to Greensboro, North Carolina at the age of 8. He attended Woodberry Forest School and Williams College before graduating with honors from...
- Mark MartinMark Martin (judge)Mark D. Martin is the Senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. With over fifteen years of service in the North Carolina judiciary, Martin is the only active member of the state judiciary with experience on the Supreme Court of North Carolina, the North Carolina Court of...
- Sarah ParkerSarah ParkerSarah Parker is an American judge, currently the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.-Education and career:...
- Alan Z. ThornburgAlan Z. ThornburgAlan Z. Thornburg is an American lawyer and jurist, formerly a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Born in Sylva, North Carolina, Thornburg earned a history degree from Davidson College in 1989 and a Juris Doctor degree from Wake Forest University in 1996...
- Robert F. OrrRobert F. OrrRobert F. Orr is an American lawyer, formerly an Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.Orr was born in Norfolk, Virginia and spent his childhood in Hendersonville, North Carolina. After earning his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Orr served...
- John WebbJohn Webb (jurist)John Webb was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court...
- Jack L. Cozort
- John B. Lewis, Jr.
- Ralph A. Walker
- Sidney S. Eagles, Jr.Sidney S. Eagles, Jr.Sidney S. "Sid" Eagles, Jr. is an American lawyer and jurist who served as a judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals from 1983 until January 2004. At the time of his retirement, Eagles was serving as Chief Judge of that court...
- Joe JohnJoe JohnJoe R. John, Sr. is a former judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He served on that court from 1992 until 2000. Previously, he had been a state superior court and state district court judge, based in Greensboro...
- S. Gerald ArnoldS. Gerald ArnoldS. Gerald Arnold is a North Carolina lawyer and jurist who served as a judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, including service as that court's Chief Judge ....
- Donald L. Smith
- Burley MitchellBurley MitchellBurley Mitchell, Jr. is an American jurist and former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. At age 15, Mitchell dropped out of high school to join the United States Marine Corps, only to be kicked out when his age was discovered...
- Clifton E. Johnson
- Willis WhichardWillis WhichardWillis P. Whichard is an American lawyer and a prominent figure in North Carolina politics and education. Whichard is the only person in the history of North Carolina who has served in both houses of the state legislature and on both of the state's appellate courts.-Legal & Civil Service...
- Charles BectonCharles BectonCharles L. Becton is an attorney, former judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and as of 2008, president of the North Carolina Bar Association. Becton is the first A African-American to hold the post)....
- Richard ErwinRichard ErwinRichard Cannon Erwin was an American jurist and politician who was the first African American to be elected to statewide office in North Carolina.After serving in the United States Army, Erwin graduated from Johnson C...
- Allyson Kay DuncanAllyson Kay DuncanAllyson Kay Duncan is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She is the Fourth Circuit's first female African American judge.- Background :...
- Fred HedrickFred HedrickRobert Alfred "Fred" Hedrick was a North Carolina jurist who served for 24 years on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.Blinded at the age of 13, Hedrick graduated from the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in 1943. He later graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law and...
- James M. Baley, Jr.James M. Baley, Jr.James M. Baley, Jr. was a North Carolina lawyer and judge. A Republican, he served in the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing Madison County, in the General Assemblies of 1937-38 and 1939-40. He served as United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina under...
- Walter E. Brock
- David M. BrittDavid M. BrittDavid Maxwell Britt was a North Carolina politician and jurist who served as Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, as one of the original judges of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and finally as a justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court...
- James C. Farthing
- Naomi E. MorrisNaomi E. MorrisNaomi Elizabeth Morris was a North Carolina jurist who served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals from 1967 through 1982. She was Chief Judge of that court from 1978 through 1982, the first woman to hold that post....
- Raymond B. Mallard
- Hugh B. Campbell
- Francis M. Parker
- Earl W. Vaughn