North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice, Democratic Primary
One of seven judges who serve on the highest court in North Carolina
Full office description
- The North Carolina Supreme Court is like the US Supreme Court. They have jurisdiction to review the appeal of any decision of lower courts, whether on the matter of law or legal inference. The NC Supreme Court typically only hears matters related to state law.
- The NC Supreme Court consists of 7 judges, called Justices. There is one Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. They are the final authority on the North Carolina Constitution.
- Supreme Court Justices are the final court for appeals in North Carolina. Decisions they make on state law are final. During an appeal, the Supreme Court is primarily tasked with considering whether an error occurred at trial or in judicial interpretation of the law.
- Supreme Court Associate Justices decide cases as a group, much like the US Supreme Court.
- Supreme Court Justices are elected for eight year terms and races are partisan.
How this impacts you
Criminal Justice — Any mistake made by a lower court can ultimately be appealed and reversed by the Supreme Court. This gives the Supreme Court a very important role in maintaining the integrity of the Criminal Justice System.
Gerrymandering — The North Carolina Supreme Court can hear cases that deal with gerrymandered districts and its constitutionality. They can also hear cases on whether North Carolinians on probation, parole and post-release supervision for felonies can vote.
Civil Rights — When you watch a documentary or see a twitter campaign for someone on death row who may have been wrongfully convicted, the State Supreme Court makes the ultimate verdict in these cases. For example, in 2020, the North Carolina Supreme Court stated constitutional principles were violated when 3 individuals were sentenced to death.
