Tessa Shelton Sellers
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Tessa Shelton Sellers is a district court judge for the 30th Judicial District, which presides over the counties of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain in North Carolina. She was appointed to this position by Gov. Pat McCrory on June 10, 2014, to replace Richlyn D. Holt.[1] She was re-elected on November 8, 2016.
Education
Sellers graduated from Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law.[2]
Career
Sellers, prior to her appointment to the district court in 2014, worked as counsel for the Clay County Sheriff's Office and as the owner of the Law Office of Tessa Shelton Sellers. She previously worked as a land protection assistant for The Land Trust for Little Tennessee.[1][2]
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 Tessa Shelton Sellers defeated Kimberly Carpenter in the North Carolina Judicial District 30 general election for the Sellers seat.[4]
| North Carolina Judicial District 30 (Sellers Seat), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Tessa Shelton Sellers Incumbent |
54.89% | 43,202 |
| Kimberly Carpenter | 45.11% | 35,502 |
| Total Votes | 78,704 | |
| 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).
See also
External links
- The North Carolina Court System, "Cherokee County - District 30A"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Clay County - District 30A"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Graham County - District 30A"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Macon County - District 30A"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Swain County - District 30A"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Haywood County - District 30B"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Jackson County - District 30B"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Governor Pat McCrory, "Governor McCrory Announces District Attorney, Judicial Appointees," June 10, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LTLT.org, "LTLT welcomes new employee," December 12, 2006 (archived by Zoominfo.com)
- ↑ 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
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
