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Newby takes oath as 30th NC Supreme Court chief justice

Paul Newby is now on the job as head of North Carolina's judicial branch.
Posted 2021-01-01T14:18:16+00:00 - Updated 2021-01-01T14:44:23+00:00
Chief Justice Paul Newby, left, stands with his wife, Macon Newby, to receive the oath of office from Superior Court Judge Andrew Heath on Jan. 1, 2021.

Paul Newby is now on the job as head of North Carolina's judicial branch.

Newby took the oath for chief justice of the state Supreme Court early Friday, shortly after midnight at a small ceremony at his home, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

“It is truly a sacred honor and privilege to serve as the 30th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina,” Newby aid in a statement. “Today, I took a solemn oath before God and the people of this great state to uphold the constitution and laws of this land, so that justice will be administered fairly without prejudice for all North Carolinians.”

Newby, 65, has been on the court since 2005 and most recently was senior associate justice.

The Republican was elevated to the top position after defeating Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in November by just 401 votes from nearly 5.4 million cast. Beasley, a Democrat and the first Black woman to serve as chief justice, is no longer on the seven-member court.

Newby will participate in a public swearing-in ceremony next Wednesday that will be broadcast online.

Two other new associate justices are joining the court following their election victories: Republicans Tamara Barringer and Phil Berger Jr.

Newby, a Randolph County native, went to Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law school. He served as a federal prosecutor before getting elected to the Supreme Court in 2004. He co-wrote a book that analyzes the North Carolina Constitution and its history.

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