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Lamont Wiggins
Lamont Wiggins (Democratic Party) is a judge for Judicial District 7B of the North Carolina 1st Superior Court Division. He assumed office in 2018. His current term ends on December 31, 2026.
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Wiggins was appointed to the court by Governor Roy Cooper (D) on March 29, 2018, to replace former Judge Milton F. Fitch, Jr., who retired in February to fill a vacancy in the North Carolina State Senate.[1]
The North Carolina Superior Courts are split into five divisions and 48 districts. Superior court judges rotate among the districts within their division every six months.[2] However, superior court judges are elected by voters in their district and must reside in the district in which they are elected.[3]
Wiggins is a former candidate for the 7A Judicial District in North Carolina. He ran in the general election on November 8, 2016. Wiggins also ran for election in 2014.[4]
Career
Wiggins previously served as a member of the Rocky Mount City Council as well as mayor pro tempore.[5] Wiggins was a private practice attorney at the Law Office of Lamont Wiggins, located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.[6][7]
Elections
2016
North Carolina held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 15, 2016.[8] Beth Freshwater Smith defeated Lamont Wiggins in the North Carolina Judicial District 7 general election for the Stewart seat.[9]
| North Carolina Judicial District 7 (Stewart Seat), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Beth Freshwater-Smith |
51.95% | 51,023 |
| Lamont Wiggins | 48.05% | 47,195 |
| Total Votes | 98,218 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial election results," accessed November 8, 2016 | ||
Lamont Wiggins and Beth Freshwater Smith defeated Andrew Whitley and Sharon Sprinkle in the North Carolina Judicial District 7 primary election for the Stewart seat.
| North Carolina Judicial District 7 (Stewart Seat), Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Lamont Wiggins |
34.68% | 17,348 |
| Beth Freshwater-Smith |
32.02% | 16,021 |
| Andrew Whitley | 18.27% | 9,142 |
| Sharon Sprinkle | 15.03% | 7,517 |
| Total Votes | 50,028 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Unofficial Local Election Results - Statewide," accessed March 15, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
The North Carolina District Courts utilize partisan elections in the selection of judges. District judges serve four-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving. From 2002 through 2016, elections for district 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 district court elections.[10][11][12]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[10]
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- a district resident; and
- under the age of 72 (retirement at 72 is mandatory).
2014
See also: North Carolina judicial elections, 2014
Wiggins ran for election to the 7A and the 7BC Judicial Districts.
General: He was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014, after receiving 46.7 percent of the vote. He competed against Wayne Shelton Boyette.
[4]
Judicial performance evaluation
In July 2014, the North Carolina Bar Association released the results of a survey in which it asked lawyers to rate the judicial candidates for the trial courts. The candidates were rated from one to five on five different criteria as well as on their overall performance.[13]
| Lamont Wiggins | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quality/Skill Rated | # of Responses | Average Rating |
| Integrity & Impartiality | 56 | 4.05 |
| Legal Ability | 56 | 3.93 |
| Professionalism | 57 | 4.14 |
| Communication | 56 | 3.95 |
| Administrative Skills | 44 | 3.86 |
| Overall Performance | 56 | 3.88 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ NC Governor Roy Cooper, "Gov. Cooper Announces New Judicial and District Attorney Appointments," March 29, 2018
- ↑ North Carolina Judicial Branch, "North Carolina Superior Court: About," accessed October 9, 2019
- ↑ North Carolina Judicial Branch, "Court Officials: Superior Court Judges," accessed October 9, 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate List Group by Contest," March 4, 2014
- ↑ Rocky Mount Telegram, "Wiggins tapped for Superior Court bench," March 29, 2018
- ↑ Lawyers.com, "Lamont Wiggins," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Martindale, "Law Office of Lamont Wiggins" accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Election Calendar," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official candidate list," accessed October 6, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: North Carolina," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ The News & Observer, "Veto override means voters will know judges’ party affiliations," March 23, 2017
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "House Bill 100," accessed May 5, 2017
- ↑ North Carolina Bar Association, "Judicial Performance Evaluation Survey," July 2014
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina
State courts:
Supreme Court of North Carolina • North Carolina Court of Appeals • North Carolina Superior Courts • North Carolina District Courts
State resources:
Courts in North Carolina • North Carolina judicial elections • Judicial selection in North Carolina
