Cooper selects voting access advocate Allison Riggs to fill appeals court seat

Riggs, a Democrat, will fill the seat of outgoing Republican Court of Appeals Judge Richard Dietz in January, who was chosen by voters last month to serve on the state Supreme Court.

Riggs is a lawyer and co-executive director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. She has drawn the ire of conservatives for her track record of successfully challenging Republican-drawn voting maps and laws that could make access to the polls more difficult.

Riggs said in an interview that she will continue to push for equality during her time on the bench.

“I've got the receipts to show that I can work with folks no matter what their politics are in pursuit of what's right and I recognize what my role will be as a judge,” she said. “I'm respectful of the system and how it works. I won't be an advocate anymore. I will be there to listen and help sort things out from the other side of the bench.”

In a news release announcing the appointment, Cooper called Riggs a “brilliant attorney and an experienced litigator who has spent her career fighting for fairness and people’s constitutional rights.”

Riggs currently leads a program at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice focused on fair voting districts and fighting against voter suppression. When she joined the group in 2009, Riggs worked under Anita Earls, SCSJ’s founder and former executive director who now serves on the state Supreme Court.

Earls drew scrutiny for hearing arguments from Riggs in a redistricting case last year. Attorneys representing GOP lawmakers asked Earls to recuse herself over her ties to the group. Democrats, meanwhile, sought to have Phil Berger Jr. recuse himself since his father led the state Senate and was involved in the legal battle over the voting maps. In the end, no justice recused themselves and the state high court’s 4-3 Democratic majority struck down the state’s congressional and legislative voting lines.

Republican House Speaker Tim Moore, who has long voiced concerns with state courts striking down voting laws and maps, wasn’t available for comment. GOP Senate leader Phil Berger didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The state Republican Party declined to weigh in on the appointment.

Riggs said she plans to run to retain the Court of Appeals seat in 2024 and make the case to voters that she’ll be an impartial voice.

“I hope and plan to be a judge who knows what it's like to be in a litigator’s shoes,” Riggs said. “Not only will I be fair and impartial as a jurist, but I hope to bring some compassion to the court and appreciation for the hard work that North Carolina attorneys do."