Tripp Helms
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William F. "Tripp" Helms, III is a district court judge for the 20B Judicial District, serving Union County of North Carolina. He was appointed to the court by former Governor Mike Easley on January 22, 2007, effective the following month. He was re-elected in 2012 for a term that expires 2016.[1][2][3]
Helms ran for re-election in 2016.[4] The general election took place on November 8, 2016.
Education
Helms received his undergraduate degree in religion from Davidson College in 1990, his master's in theological studies from Duke University in 1993, and his J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1997.[2][5]
Career
Helms worked as an attorney for nine years prior to his judicial appointment in early 2007. He was also served as a clerk of the superior court from 2005 to 2006.[5]
Elections
2016
North Carolina held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 15, 2016.[6] Incumbent Tripp Helms ran unopposed in the North Carolina Judicial District 20D general election for the Helms seat.[4]
| North Carolina Judicial District 20D (Helms Seat), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Tripp Helms Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 70,357 |
| Total Votes | 70,357 | |
| 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.[7][8][9]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[7]
- 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
Helms was re-elected to the 20B Judicial District on November 6, 2012, defeating Sherryl West with 53.85% of the vote.[10][11]
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 Helms's ratings in five categories and overall:
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Endorsements
- North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys[13]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ HighBeam Research, "Gov. Easley Appoints William Helms to District Court Seat," January 22, 2007
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LinkedIn, "Tripp Helms profile"
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections: Lists of Judges and Term Expiration Dates Scroll to p.12
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official candidate list," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tripp Helms campaign website
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Election Calendar," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 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: Official 2012 General Election Results
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing List," 2012 Scroll to p.57
- ↑ NC Bar Association: Judicial Performance Evaluation Survey, January 2012 Scroll to p.13
- ↑ North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys: 2012 endorsement announcement
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
