North Carolina Judicial Nominating Commission
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The North Carolina Judicial Nominating Commission is a former body that screened and nominated candidates for vacancies on the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and superior courts. It screened applicants and recommended three to the governor as potential appointees for a vacancy. The governor had final say over who joined the court.
Creation and disbandment
The commission was created by Governor Bev Perdue (D) in April 2011 with the signing of Executive Order 86. The commission was not constitutionally mandated.[1][2] Perdue, however, suspended the commission in December 2012 in an effort to make a last-minute appointment to the judiciary. She drew much criticism because of the move.[3]
The commission was terminated entirely by Governor Pat McCrory (R) shortly after he took office in January 2013.[4]
Duties
When selecting potential judges, the commission was to "consider diversity, gender, ethnicity, geography and professional experience."[2] It was required to publicize vacancies on the courts and recruit candidates.
| “ | The people appointed as judges arguably have more impact on the lives of North Carolinians, day in and day out, than any other position filled by appointment. It is crucial that the people of North Carolina know those selected to serve on the bench are not only well qualified and fair, but also well respected by their peers and communities. There is no place for politics when it comes to choosing the state’s most honored and influential legal servants.[5] | ” |
| —Gov. Bev Perdue[2] | ||
The commission was composed of 18 members: eight attorneys, eight non-lawyers and two members that could be either.[2]
State profile
| Demographic data for North Carolina | ||
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 10,035,186 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 48,618 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 69.5% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 21.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.5% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.4% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 8.8% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 85.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28.4% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $46,868 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 20.5% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in North Carolina. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
North Carolina voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, six are located in North Carolina, accounting for 2.91 percent of the total pivot counties.[6]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. North Carolina had six Retained Pivot Counties, 3.31 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More North Carolina coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in North Carolina
- United States congressional delegations from North Carolina
- Public policy in North Carolina
- Endorsers in North Carolina
- North Carolina fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ NBC17, "Perdue forms panel to help with NC judge decisions," April 5, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Office of the North Carolina Governor, "Press Release: Gov. Perdue Takes Step to Remove Politics from Judicial Appointments," April 5, 2011
- ↑ National Law Review, "North Carolina Governor Perdue Suspends Judicial Nominating Commission," December 9, 2012
- ↑ University of Denver, "New North Carolina Governor Formally Ends Judicial Nominating Commission," January 8, 2013
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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
