Jeffery Carpenter

Jeffery Carpenter (Republican Party) (also known as Jeff) is a judge for Seat 7 of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He assumed office on January 1, 2021. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.

Carpenter (Republican Party) ran for election for the Seat 7 judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Carpenter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Carpenter was previously a judge on the North Carolina Superior Court's 6th Division. In 2018, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 717, revising the state superior court. Carpenter's seat on the Sixth Division was absorbed into the Third Division. He served on the Third Division until he was elected the state court of appeals in 2020.

Biography

Jeffery Carpenter pursued his undergraduate education at Wingate University and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. He attended law school at Campbell University and obtained his J.D. in 2003. Carpenter's career experience includes working as a judge, attorney, and law enforcement officer.^[1]

Elections

2020

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7

Jeffery Carpenter defeated incumbent Reuben Young in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jeffery Carpenter (R)	51.6	2,747,109
	Reuben Young (D)	48.4	2,578,035

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,325,144
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Reuben Young advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Jeffery Carpenter advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7.

Campaign finance

2016

See also: North Carolina local trial court judicial elections, 2016

North Carolina held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 15, 2016.^[2] Jeffery Carpenter defeated Robert Palmer in the Superior Court 6th Division District 20B general election.^[3]

North Carolina Superior Court 6th Division, District 20B, General Election, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jeffery Carpenter	56.47%	48,749
Robert Palmer	43.53%	37,575
Total Votes		86,324
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial election results," accessed November 8, 2016

Selection method

See also: Partisan election of judges

The 98 judges of the North Carolina Superior Courts are chosen in partisan elections to serve eight-year terms. From 1998 through 2016, elections for superior court judges were nonpartisan; however, on March 23, 2017, the North Carolina legislature changed the method of election to partisan elections by overriding Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of HB 100. This change was effective with the 2018 superior court elections.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

The chief judge of each superior court is chosen by seniority.^[9]

Qualifications
To serve on a superior court, a judge must be:

"learned in the law" and
under the age of 72 (retirement at 72 is mandatory).^[9]

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

Jeffery Carpenter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Carpenter's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in rural Anson County. I attended and graduated from Anson County Public Schools. I attended college at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and graduated with a BA in Political Science. Shortly after graduating from UNCC, I became a North Carolina State Trooper and had the privilege to serve the State of NC in that capacity for 6 years before attending Law School at Campbell University, in Buies Creek, NC. I was a trial attorney for 13 years having tried more than 30 criminal and civil jury trials to verdict. I also served as a contract attorney for the Guardian ad Litem program defending and protecting the rights of children for many years before becoming Resident Superior Court Judge for Union County in 2016.

I am a dedicated husband to my wife of almost 24 years, and the loving father of a 14-year-old son who attends Union County Public Schools.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I believe that the law should be applied fairly and equally to everyone.
I am a conservative, meaning the law should be applied as written and Judges should not legislate from the bench.
I will follow the Constitution, and wil not attempt to change or ignor the Constitution.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about preserving the integrity and the spirit of the judicial branch of government. I am passionate about preserving the separation of powers between the 3 branches of government. I am passionate about providing a fair and just forum and legal process for the resolution of disputes to all persons.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my Dad. My Dad has always lead by example by showing me the value of a strong work ethic. My Dad came from humble beginnings as one of seven children. He taught me to treat others with dignity and respect, to be thankful for every day we are given, and the value of a positive attitude. Dad taught me to set goals and work to achieve them, and if "I think that I can" that I am right. I would like to follow my Dad's example because he has been a servant leader to me and many others, and importantly he has never been a self-serving leader.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe the most important characteristics are Honor and integrity. I also believe that it is important to be authentic and genuine.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

My demeanor, work ethic, and experience as a law enforcement officer, trial attorney, and trial judge.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The responsibility of an elected official in to honorably serve the constituents consistent with the duties of the office to which the person is elected.

What legacy would you like to leave?

One of fairness.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as an apprentice for my Dad who was an electrician. I began working with my Dad as a child and continued to work with my Dad as an apprentice electrician until I graduated from college in 1994.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I am currently reading "The Secret" by Ken Blanchard and it is a very good book.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

If You Are Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Everyday is a good day for me. I view struggles as opportunities to adapt and overcome. I believe that we all achieve at the level that we are challenged and challenges present opportunities to achieve.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Although I have never held the office of Court of Appeals Judge, I have sat a on 3 judge panel which very similar to the 3 judge panels of the Court of Appeals. I believe that some of the responsibilities of an effective Court of Appeals Judge are: a willingness to consider the thoughts and opinions of others, to keep and open mind regarding issues that may be addressed by the panel, to not rush the thought process

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I am a constitutional conservative and a textualist. In short the law says what is says, and means what it says.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

I admire Judge Sanford Steelman.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Empathy is an important quality for a judge as it relates to interacting with other judges, and employees. As it relates to the law, if judicial decisions are made on emotion the law becomes terribly unpredictable, thus ruling should be dictated by and based on the law and not emotion.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

Not that I am aware of.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running to bring "in the courtroom trial experience" to the Court of Appeals from the perspective of a law enforcement officer, a civil and criminal litigator, and of a trial judge. Very few of our Judges on the Appeals court have any of these perspectives, and no one currently on the Court of Appeals brings all three of these perspectives to the bench of the Court of Appeals. I am running to bring diversity of thought, diversity of perspective and diversity of experience to the Court of Appeals bench.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not see either types of experience to be necessary, however the more broad ones experience the better. I believe that it is important to have prior judicial experience and prior trial experience in order to have a proper lens through which to view issues on appeal.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

My primary concern is trend to venture outside the lane of the role of the Judicial branch and into the lane of the Executive and Legislative branches of government. The preservation of the separation of powers of the branches of government is crucial to the operation of government and to providing justice under the law.

What do you consider the greatest opportunity for the legal system in your state?

To provide justice through innovation and the use of technology.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

If the opportunity arose, I would consider serving on a higher court. The NC Supreme Court is the only higher State Court, however I would also consider serving on the Federal District Court and/or the Federal Appeals Court if the opportunity were presented.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

Not necessarily so. In an adversarial system there is a winner and a loser. If those who come out with unfavorable outcomes rate more often than those with positive outcomes or vice

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.