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William F. Southern, III
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William F. "Bill" Southern, III is a district court judge for the 17B Judicial District, which presides over Stokes and Surry counties in North Carolina. He joined the court in 2008 and was re-elected in 2012 and 2016.[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 F. Southern, III ran unopposed in the North Carolina Judicial District 17B general election for the Southern seat.[3]
| North Carolina Judicial District 17B (Southern Seat), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 William F. Southern, III Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 40,840 |
| Total Votes | 40,840 | |
| 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.[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).
2014
- See also: North Carolina judicial elections, 2014
Southern ran for election to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014, after receiving 48.1 percent of the vote. He competed against Lucy N. Inman.[7]
Endorsements
2012
Southern was re-elected to the 17B Judicial District without opposition on November 6, 2012.[10][11]
- See also: North Carolina judicial elections, 2012
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." The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary and non-governmental organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students, not affiliated with the North Carolina State Bar. Below are Southern's ratings in five categories and overall:
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Education
Southern received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002 and his J.D. from the Texas Southern University School of Law in 2006.[1]
Career
Before joining North Carolina's 17B Judicial District in 2008, Southern worked as an assistant district attorney from 2006 to 2008. He was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 2006.[1][13]
Awards and associations
Associations
- Member, National Rifle Association
- Community fellow, Reclaiming Futures Project for Youth, North Carolina District 17
- Member, Surry County Child Fatality Prevention Team
- Board member, Stokes County Stop Child Abuse Now
- Member, North Carolina Bar Association
- Member, Administration of Justice Committee, NCBA
- Member, King Lions Club
- Board member, National Alumni Board, Texas Southern University School Of Law
- Member, Trinity United Methodist Church[1]
See also
External links
- The North Carolina Court System, "Stokes County - District 17B"
- The North Carolina Court System, "Surry County - District 17B"
- Judge Bill Southern for Judge campaign website
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Judge Bill Southern for Judge, "About Bill," archived September 16, 2014
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 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
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate List Group by Contest," March 4, 2014
- ↑ Judge Bill Southern for Judge, "NC Fraternal Order of Police endorses Judge Bill Southern for NC Court of Appeals," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ Judge Bill Southern for Judge, "iCaucus and Asheville Tea PAC Endorse Judge Bill Southern for NC Court of Appeals," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official 2012 General Election Results"
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Filing List, 2012 Primary" Scroll to p.55
- ↑ NC Bar Association: Judicial Performance Evaluation Survey, January 2012 Scroll to p.12
- ↑ Martindale.com, "Profile: William Flynn Southern, III"
