Democratic Judicial Campaign Committee

#North Carolina#

##Justices##

- Chief Justice Sarah Parker – Chief since 2006, term expires 2014 (leans progressive)

- Justice Mark Martin – Term expires 2014 (leans conservative)

- Justice Robert Edmunds – Elected 2008, term expires 2016 (leans conservative)

- Justice Edward Brady – Term expires 2010 (leans conservative)

- Justice Paul Newby – Term expires 2012 (leans conservative)

- Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson – Appointed 2006, term expires 2014 (leans progressive)

- Justice Robin Hudson – Term expires 2014 (leans progressive)

##About the court##

Current court is non-partisan with conservative majority. Republicans hold majority.

Terms are 8 years. The next election cycle is 2010.

At the suggestion of former Chief Justice James Exum Jr. in 1987 the North Carolina General Assembly established a Judicial Selection Study Committee to review the method of selecting and retaining Supreme Court Justices. The commission recommended that justices be appointed rather than elected, and proposed a constitutional amendment. A version of this plan has repeatedly passed in the Senate in recent years but failed to garner the 3/5 needed in the House to pass.

Additionally, a 2002 overhaul of the North Carolina Supreme Court and Appeals Court elections led to non-partisan elections, furnishing voters with a voter guide, and the offer of public financing for candidates. Efforts to further remove politics from judicial campaigns will not doubt continue in future legislative sessions.