Lou Olivera
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Luis "Lou" Olivera is a district court judge for the 12th Judicial District, serving Cumberland County of North Carolina. He was elected to this position on November 6, 2012, becoming the first elected Hispanic judge in the state's history. He is also the first Hispanic elected to any government position in Cumberland County.[1][2] He replaced retired Judge John W. Dickson.[3]
Olivera ran for re-election in 2016.[4] The general election took place on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Olivera received his B.S. in criminal justice from Pembroke State University and his J.D. from Campbell Law School. He began his career as an assistant district attorney in Cumberland County. He then became a private practice attorney. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at Methodist College and Fayetteville Technical Community College.[5][6]
Olivera was elected vice president of the North Carolina Bar Association for 2016-2017. In July 2016, he was awarded the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism (CJCP) Award for Meritorious and Extraordinary Service.[7]
Olivera served in the United States Army as a counterintelligence special agent for eight years.[8]
Veterans treatment court
In 2014, Cumberland County opened the second veterans treatment court in the state. Olivera became the presiding judge of the court, which had its first graduate in April 2016.[9][10] Olivera explains the court in the video below.
Elections
2016
North Carolina held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 15, 2016.[11] Incumbent Lou Olivera ran unopposed in the North Carolina Judicial District 12 general election for the Olivera seat.[4]
| North Carolina Judicial District 12 (Olivera Seat), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Lou Olivera Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 93,318 |
| Total Votes | 93,318 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial election results," accessed November 8, 2016 | ||
2012
- See also: North Carolina judicial elections, 2012
Olivera was elected to the 12th Judicial District on November 6, 2012, defeating Stephen C. Stokes with 51.64 percent of the vote.[1][12][3]
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.[13][14][15]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[13]
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- a district resident; and
- under the age of 72 (retirement at 72 is mandatory).
Judicial candidate survey
The North Carolina Bar Association asked its members to rank judicial candidates on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being "excellent." Below are Olivera's ratings in five categories and overall:
- Overall: 4.12
- Integrity & Impartiality: 4.02
- Legal Ability: 4.07
- Professionalism: 4.09
- Communication: 4.23
- Administrative Skills: 4.1[16]
Noteworthy events
Afghanistan War veteran Joe Serna had been arrested for drunk driving a few years prior and was prohibited from drinking alcohol under his probation. When he lied about a urine test in April 2016, Olivera sentenced him to 24 hours in jail. The judge made national headlines when he decided to spend the entire sentence in the jail cell with Serna, who suffers from PTSD and a fear of small, cramped spaces. "I knew what Joe was going through and I knew Joe's history. And he had to be held accountable -- but I just felt I had to go with him. I felt I had to go with him", he said.[17]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections: Official 2012 General Election Results
- ↑ Information submitted to Judgepedia via email on 7/29/2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing List," 2012 Scroll to p.53
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official candidate list," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ Lou Olivera campaign website, "Olivera Files for District Court Judges," February 15, 2012
- ↑ Lou Olivera campaign website, "Prosecutor"
- ↑ North Carolina Court System, "Judge Lou Olivera Receives Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism Award for Meritorious and Extraordinary Service," July 2016
- ↑ Email correspondence with Louis Olivera on June 17, 2018.
- ↑ Fay Observer, "Cumberland County opens veterans treatment court," November 13, 2014
- ↑ Fay Observer, "Air Force veteran is Cumberland County's 1st graduate of Veterans Treatment Court," April 26, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Election Calendar," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ North Carolina Board of Elections, "Unofficial Primary Election Results, May 8, 2012"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 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," accessed August 11, 2016
- ↑ CBS News, "Judge gives former soldier unusual sentence for probation violation," April 29, 2016
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
