Steven V. Higdon
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2020
Steven V. Higdon is a district court judge for the 20B Judicial District, serving Union County of North Carolina. He was appointed to the court by Gov. Bev Perdue (D) in February 2011. Higdon was elected to a full four-year term on the court in November 2012 and re-elected in November 2016.[1][2]
Biography
Higdon received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from Wake Forest University.[1]
Prior to joining the bench, Higdon was an assistant district attorney for the Union County District Attorney's Office for 14 years.[1]
Awards and associations
- Past president, Union County Bar Association
- Board of Directors, Union County Crisis Assistance Ministry[1]
Elections
2016
North Carolina held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 15, 2016.[3] Incumbent Steven V. Higdon ran unopposed in the North Carolina Judicial District 20C general election for the Higdon seat.[4]
| North Carolina Judicial District 20C (Higdon Seat), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Steven V. Higdon Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 63,489 |
| Total Votes | 63,489 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial election results," accessed November 8, 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.[5][6][7]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[5]
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- a district resident; and
- under the age of 72 (retirement at 72 is mandatory).
2012
- See also: North Carolina judicial elections, 2012
Higdon was re-elected to the 20B Judicial District on November 6, 2012, defeating Althea Richardson-Tucker with 67.77% of the vote.[2][8][9]
Judicial candidate survey
The North Carolina Bar Association asked its members to rank incumbent judges with terms ending in 2012 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being "excellent." Below are Higdon's ratings in five categories and overall:
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See also
External links
- The North Carolina Court System, "Union County - District 20B"
- Office of Governor Bev Perdue, Press Release: "Gov. Perdue Appoints Higdon to 20B District Court Bench," February 1, 2011
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Office of Governor Bev Perdue, Press Release: "Gov. Perdue Appoints Higdon to 20B District Court Bench," February 1, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections: Official 2012 General Election Results
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Election Calendar," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official candidate list," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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 State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing List," 2012 Scroll to p.57
- ↑ North Carolina District Court Districts
- ↑ NC Bar Association, "Judicial Performance Evaluation Survey," January 2012 Scroll to p.13
