North Carolina Court of Appeals | |
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![]() 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 | https://www.nccourts.gov/courts/court-of-appeals |
Chief Judge | |
Currently | Chris Dillon |
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]
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]
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]
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]
Seat | Name | Born | Joined | Term ends [a] | Mandatory retirement [b] | Law school | Party affiliation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Chris Dillon , Chief Judge | 1965 (age 59–60) | January 1, 2013 | 2028 | April 30, 2041 | North Carolina | Republican |
9 | Donna Stroud | June 28, 1964 | January 1, 2007 | 2030 | June 30, 2040 | Campbell | Republican |
10 | John M. Tyson | July 14, 1953 | January 1, 2015 [c] | 2030 | July 31, 2029 | Campbell | Republican |
14 | Valerie Zachary | 1962 (age 62–63) | July 31, 2015 | 2032 | August 31, 2038 | Harvard | Republican |
1 | John S. Arrowood | November 4, 1956 | April 24, 2017 [d] | 2026 | November 30, 2032 | North Carolina | Democratic |
3 | Allegra Collins | January 13, 1972 | January 1, 2019 | 2026 | January 31, 2048 | Campbell | Democratic |
2 | Toby Hampson | December 20, 1975 | January 1, 2019 | 2026 | December 31, 2051 | Campbell | Democratic |
7 | Jeff Carpenter | 1972 (age 52–53) | January 1, 2021 | 2028 | August 31, 2048 | Campbell | Republican |
4 | April C. Wood | 1973 (age 51–52) | January 1, 2021 | 2028 | 2049 | Regent | Republican |
5 | W. Fred Gore | 1974 (age 50–51) | January 1, 2021 | 2028 | 2050 | Appalachian | Republican |
13 | Jefferson Griffin | October 7, 1980 | January 1, 2021 | 2028 | October 31, 2056 | NC Central | Republican |
8 | Julee T. Flood | July 7, 1961 | January 1, 2023 | 2030 | July 31, 2037 | New Hampshire | Republican |
11 | Michael J. Stading | January 24, 1981 | January 1, 2023 | 2030 | January 31, 2057 | Campbell | Republican |
12 | Tom Murry | May 8, 1977 | January 1, 2025 | 2032 | May 31, 2053 | Campbell | Republican |
15 | Chris Freeman | August 5, 1977 | January 1, 2025 | 2032 | August 31, 2053 | Regent | Republican |
Notes:
A partial list of former judges is listed below: [9]