Something old, something new and something borrowed could be coming through. That’s not a wedding day checklist, but rather describes a trio of bills being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly that could dramatically shake up the state’s methods ...

Tagged with: Judicial Elections Judicial Nominating commission

The state’s new Judicial Nominating Commission wasn’t exactly faced with crowd control problems on its recent statewide tour, but the message it heard from the public was clear: Some of the best qualified people are the least likely to seek to be a judge.

Tagged with: Judicial Nominating commission

The state’s Judicial Nominating Commission has submitted its first list of judge candidates to Gov. Beverly E. Perdue, and she is asking for the public’s input before making a selection.

Tagged with: Judicial Nominating commission

Lawyers and other members of the public will soon have the chance to tell the state’s new Judicial Nominating Commission what to consider when selecting judge candidates for the governor.

Tagged with: Judicial Nominating commission

Lawyers and other members of the public will soon have the chance to tell the state’s new Judicial Nominating Commission what to consider when selecting judge candidates for the governor.

Tagged with: Judicial Nominating commission

A simple arithmetic problem was the first challenge for members of the state’s new Judicial Nominating Commission: So far, the group has one candidate to recommend for North Carolina’s empty District 11-A Superior Court judgeship. It needs three. The JNC held its inaugural meeting Jan. 18 in the old Senate chambers of the State Capitol in Raleigh. Pictured, former N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice James G. Exum Jr. addresses the JNC.

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An unprecedented survey based on the opinions of thousands of lawyers across North Carolina seems to paint a rosy picture of the state’s judiciary. The N.C. Bar Association’s judicial performance survey gives a big thumbs-up to almost all of the 168 trial judges who will have to survive this year’s election to remain on the bench. None of the 17 Superior Court and 151 District Court judges who were evaluated received the lowest possible overall performance rating on the survey.

Tagged with: Judicial Nominating commission

All 18 seats on North Carolina’s first Judicial Nominating Commission are finally filled, but complaints have followed that Gov. Beverly E. Perdue stacked what was supposed to be a bipartisan body with fellow Democrats. Perdue announced her appointments to the commission on Jan. 4, about nine months after she signed an executive order establishing the JNC. Several members of the commission are prominent Democrats, including former Charlotte mayor Harvey Gantt. Still, Perdue spokesman Benjamin L. Niolet said political affiliation did not play a role in the selection of commission members. “The members were chosen because they were the most qualified,” he said. Perdue selected her former general counsel, Edwin M. Speas Jr. (pictured) of Raleigh’s Poyner & Spruill, as chairman of the JNC.

Tagged with: Judicial Nominating commission

Gov. Beverly Perdue has named the members of North Carolina’s first judicial nominating commission, which will soon begin vetting candidates seeking to fill judgeship vacancies across the state. Perdue created the 18-member commission in an historic April 2011 executive order. While the commission does not affect how judges are elected, it is significant because many judges reach the bench by appointment when the sitting judge steps down. Edwin M. Speas Jr. (pictured) of Raleigh’s Poyner & Spruill, was selected as chairman of the commission.

Tagged with: Judicial Nominating commission