← Back to Orange County, North Carolina: Election on 2026-11-03
Contest for Nc Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 02
general - Partisan - Court of Appeals Judge
About this office
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.
Term length: 8 years.
This role calls for
- Review of trial-court decisions for legal error, deciding cases on the record, briefs, and oral argument rather than by trial.
- Deep command of substantive and procedural law and of controlling precedent, since appellate rulings bind the courts below.
- Judicial temperament and impartiality under the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct, including recusal when conflicts arise.
- Clear, reasoned legal writing — appellate opinions are the law other courts follow.
- Collegiality: appellate judges decide in panels and must persuade and be persuaded.
- Integrity and independence from political or financial influence.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
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