William B. Sutton, Jr.
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This page is about a judge for the 4th Judicial District Court in North Carolina. If you are looking for information on a former judge for the Williams Justice Court in Coconino County, Arizona, please see William Sutton.
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William B. Sutton, Jr. is a district court judge for the 4A Judicial District and 4B Judicial District in North Carolina. He was appointed to the court by Governor Pat McCrory on January 9, 2015, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Leonard W. Thagard.[1] He was elected to a full term on November 8, 2016.
Education
Sutton received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his J.D. degree from Campbell University.[1]
Career
From 1989 until his appointment to the district court in January 2015, Sutton maintained his own private law practice in Clinton, North Carolina.[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.[2] Incumbent William B. Sutton, Jr. defeated Anita Powers in the North Carolina Judicial District 4 general election for the Sutton seat.[3]
| North Carolina Judicial District 4 (Sutton Seat), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 William B. Sutton, Jr. Incumbent |
53.22% | 46,274 |
| Anita Powers | 46.78% | 40,667 |
| Total Votes | 86,941 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial election results," accessed November 8, 2016 | ||
Incumbent William B. Sutton, Jr. and Anita Powers defeated Paul Castle in the North Carolina Judicial District 4 primary election for the Sutton seat.
| North Carolina Judicial District 4 (Sutton Seat), Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| William B. Sutton, Jr. Incumbent |
47.65% | 21,274 |
| Anita Powers |
35.34% | 15,777 |
| Paul Castle | 17.01% | 7,592 |
| Total Votes | 44,643 | |
| 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.[4][5][6]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[4]
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- a district resident; and
- under the age of 72 (retirement at 72 is mandatory).
See also
- North Carolina District Courts
- Courts in North Carolina
- North Carolina counties
- Judicial selection in North Carolina
External links
- The North Carolina Court System, "Duplin County - District 4A"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Jones County - District 4A"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Sampson County - District 4A"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Onslow County - District 4B"
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 State of North Carolina: Office of Governor Pat McCrory, "Governor McCrory Announces Judicial Appointment," January 9, 2015
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 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
