{"county":null,"description":"An appellate judge (North Carolina Court of Appeals or Supreme Court) reviews decisions of the trial courts for legal error, sitting in panels and deciding cases on the briefs, record, and argument rather than holding trials. The Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort.","district":null,"districtgroup":null,"id":1121,"key":"court_of_appeals","lastchangeby":null,"name":null,"next_election":null,"notes":null,"officegroup":null,"partisan":1,"party":null,"qualities":"- Review of trial-court decisions for legal error, deciding cases on the record, briefs, and oral argument rather than by trial.\n- Deep command of substantive and procedural law and of controlling precedent, since appellate rulings bind the courts below.\n- Judicial temperament and impartiality under the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct, including recusal when conflicts arise.\n- Clear, reasoned legal writing \u2014 appellate opinions are the law other courts follow.\n- Collegiality: appellate judges decide in panels and must persuade and be persuaded.\n- Integrity and independence from political or financial influence.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"NC","term_end":null,"term_start":null,"term_years":8,"terms":[],"title":"Court of Appeals Judge","type":"judicial","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-07-28 13:14:07"}