Meet the candidates for the North Carolina Court of Appeals

Candidates for the North Carolina Court of Appeals

The North Carolina Court of Appeals handles cases appealed from the state’s lower courts and simply determines whether previous trials were conducted according to law. There are 15 judges serving on the appeals court with three seats vacant in November. The mandate of these judges lasts eight years.

Judge of the Court of Appeal, seat 12

Carolyn Thompson, Democrat

• Age: 56 years old

• Occupation: Attorney, appeals court judge appointed by Governor Roy Cooper in September 2023, previously deputy commissioner of the North Carolina Industrial Commission

• Previously held offices: District Court Judge, District 9, Superior Court Judge, District 9

• Positions on major issues: Thompson, supported by Cooper, says partisan politics has no place in her decision-making process. “Real justice is independent of party affiliation, divisive ideologies, and social differences,” his campaign website states. Much of her work has focused on cases of domestic violence and child neglect. Thompson also serves as a volunteer youth court judge. She is supported by Equality North Carolina PAC, an LGBTQ rights group, and Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic.

Tom Murry, Republican

• Age: 47 years old

• Profession: Deputy prosecutor in 11^th district, veteran, former chief of staff of the North Carolina Judicial Branch

• Previous positions: North Carolina State Representative for Wake County (where he was known for his support of voter ID legislation)

• Positions on major issues: Murry, the son of a pastor whose primary guiding light is the Bible verse Micah 6:8, was previously in the race for attorney general but later switched to appear on the state’s court ticket. call. A conservative judge at heart, Murry rules based on the “original meaning of the Constitution,” according to his campaign announcement video. He believes that the public has lost confidence in the system and he denounces what he calls “judicial activism”.

Judge of the Court of Appeal, seat 14

Ed Eldred, Democrat

• Age: 51 years old

• Profession: Attorney, former law clerk to North Carolina appellate judges

• Previously held offices: None

• Positions on major issues: Eldred, a North Carolina native and two-time graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is supported by Equality North Carolina PAC, an LGBTQ rights group, and Planned Parenthood Votes ! South Atlantic. Eldred considers himself pro-choice on reproductive health issues, even saying that “the attack on reproductive rights led me to run for office” in an X post.

Valérie Zachary, Republican

• Age: 61 years old

• Occupation: Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals since 2015, when she was appointed by Governor Pat McCrory, then elected by North Carolinians in 2016, previously an attorney in private practice and partner at Zachary Law Offices .

• Previously held offices: None

• Positions on major issues: Zachary, a Yadkin County native, is a conservative judge. “My record is one of consistent application of the Constitution to the facts of a case, not judicial activism from the bench,” she says on her campaign website.

Judge of the Court of Appeal, seat 15

Christopher Freeman, Republican

• Age: 46 years old

• Occupation: District Court Judge of Rockingham and Caswell Counties, United States Air Force Reservist, formerly Deputy Rockingham County Prosecutor

• Previously held offices: None

• Positions on major issues: Freeman considers himself a conservative judge, saying he will “apply the law as it is written.”

Martin Moore, Democrat

• Age: 36 years old

• Occupation: Buncombe County Commissioner, Attorney

• Previously held offices: None

• Positions on major issues: Moore believes the courts should provide justice for all North Carolinians and should not focus on “partisanship and extremist beliefs,” according to his campaign website. He believes diversity is the key to a balanced court. Moore is supported by Pro-Choice North Carolina, a reproductive freedom advocacy group, Equality North Carolina PAC, which advocates for the LGBTQ community, and Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: North Carolina Court of Appeals Candidates in 2024 Election