NC Supreme Court Coverage

NC appeals court judge falls in GOP primary, as Democratic Supreme Court justice fends off challenger

NC Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs won the Democratic primary for her seat on the high court. A Republican judge on the Court of Appeals, who faced a rare public censured, lost his primary.

Laura Leslie and Will Doran, WRAL News

DRAUGHON DRAWS: Taking the N.C. Supreme Court to school?

Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024 -- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist.

North Carolina Supreme Court holds fifth hearing on Leandro case

Oral arguments have begun Thursday in an unwieldy, 30-year-old lawsuit over whether the state is providing children with an adequate education.

NC high court weighs who should benefit from a $677.8M education improvement plan

Lawyers argued over whether all North Carolina public school students should benefit from a proposed plan to improve school in the state -- or whether the plan should be thrown out.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter, and Laura Leslie, WRAL capitol bureau chief

Editorial: Fate of public education rests with state's high court. It must not let our kids down

Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 -- The N.C. Supreme Court needs to stand for the future of the state, the promise to our children and a quality education in every classroom and school.

Editorial: State court's integrity diminished by Justice Berger Jr.'s refusal to recuse in Leandro case

Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024 -- As much as we hope our judges possess a strong knowledge of the law, we also expect them to have a firm grip on common sense. Our hopes and expectations, when it comes to the majority of those sitting on North Carolina's Supreme Court bench, were dashed by this latest decision.

North Carolina Supreme Court dismisses motion asking justice to recuse from Leandro lawsuit involving father

Phil Berger Jr. had asked the court to review the motion. That lawsuit known as Leandro is back before the state Supreme Court next week, with potentially billions of dollars for public schools on the line.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

DRAUGHON DRAWS: "Fair" elections? What a concept!

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024 -- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist.

NC Supreme Court Justice Berger asks for decision on his recusal from Leandro lawsuit

That lawsuit is back before the state Supreme Court, with potentially billions of dollars for public schools on the line. Justices are set to hear arguments about jurisdictional questions Feb. 22.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

NC ethics panel drops investigation into Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls

NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls had sued the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission to stop an investigation into her for giving media interviews in which she spoke about racial, political and gender biases at the Supreme Court, where she's the only Black justice.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Editorial: Newby transforms N.C. courts to playground to settle petty political feuds

Friday, Jan. 5, 2024 -- The events of this week are not about the administration of justice. Chief Justice Paul Newby and others have manipulated our state's judicial system to settle a political feud.

DRAUGHON DRAWS: Chief Justice Newby plays games with N.C. courts

Friday, Jan. 5, 2023 -- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist.

Top NC Court of Appeals judge removed from leadership role, without explanation

Judge Donna Stroud, a Republican who has served on the court since 2006 and chief judge since 2021, was quietly removed from the most senior position on the appeals court Monday. She remains in her seat on the bench, but not as chief judge.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Editorial: Does N.C. Constitution really endorse partisan legislative dictatorship?

Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023 -- Did the drafters of North Carolina's state constitution intend for the majority political party in the General Assembly to enshrine itself in power for perpetuity? To follow the contorted logic of state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, the answer is yes.

DRAUGHON DRAWS: The 'education' of a chief justice?

Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023 -- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist.

AARON MENDELSON: Not just the Supreme Court: Ethics troubles plague state high courts, too

Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 -- North Carolina's Supreme Court chief justice heard cases despite a conflict of interest. Experts say judicial ethics at state high courts everywhere don't receive the scrutiny they deserve.

Aaron Mendelson, Center for Public Integrity

Editorial: N.C. justices must see legislators as peoples' representatives, not their dictators

Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 -- "All political power is vested in and derived from the people." The State Constitution does not say a legislature with frequent elections is omnipotent, unanswerable to the other equal branches of the government - including the executive and judicial.

Another loss for NC Supreme Court justice seeking to stop ethics probe

Racial justice advocates and fellow Democrats say the ethics investigation into state Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls for her comments on race, politics and the judiciary is an attempt to silence all Black attorneys and judges from speaking out against systemic racism.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Ethics investigation into NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls can continue, federal judge rules

Earls is being investigated by the Judicial Standards Commission for comments she made in media interviews about racial, gender and political biases on the state's highest court. Most of the Supreme Court justices are white Republican men; Earls is the only Black woman on the court as well as one of only two Democrats.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

In Earls investigation, federal judge wrangles with key question: How political can NC Supreme Court justices get?

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls Earls is suing the state Judicial Standards Commission to stop an ethics investigation she says is targeting her for critiques she made about racial, gender and political biases at the state's highest court.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

NC Supreme Court hears arguments on fate of Confederate monument honoring Zebulon Vance in Asheville

The North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday about the removal of the Vance Monument in Asheville. It was dedicated to a former North Carolina governor and Confederate Col. Zebulon Vance.

Shelle Jackson, WRAL reporter

NC Supreme Court hears arguments on Confederate monument

The North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday morning in a dispute over a Conferate monument in Asheville.

NC Supreme Court hears Asheville Confederate monument case

A preservation society based in Buncombe County is suing the City of Asheville over who owns and can determine the future of the Zebulon Baird Vance Monument in the city.

Analysis: NC's evenly-split congressional delegation is likely to turn red. These Dems could be drawn out

North Carolina lawmakers are preparing new congressional voting maps. Some Democrats are more likely than others to be targeted under Republicans' new plans.

Laura Leslie, WRAL capitol bureau chief

Editorial: Morals and fair play take a back seat to expediency in the legislature

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 -- It is no exaggeration to say the seven justices of the N.C. Supreme Court will determine if the General Assembly is the devil's playground or a temple of democracy.