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William F. Southern, III

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William F. Southern
Image of William F. Southern
North Carolina 17B Judicial District
Tenure
Present officeholder
Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 8, 2016

Education

Bachelor's

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2002

Law

Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 2006


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

See also: North Carolina local trial court judicial 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
Green check mark transparent.png 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

  • North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police[8]
  • iCaucus
  • Asheville Tea PAC[9]

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:

  • Overall: 4.22
  • Integrity & Fairness: 4.30
  • Legal Ability: 4.05
  • Professionalism: 4.50
  • Communication: 4.32
  • Administrative Skills: 4.40[12]

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

Footnotes