If there’s a branch of North Carolina state government that’s undergone the largest transformation in recent decades – both in its role and its make-up – it’s likely the state courts. Thanks in large part to an aggressive effort spearheaded by Republican legislators and funders, a combination of law changes and the dedication of millions of dollars in campaign spending have combined to make the state’s judiciary vastly more partisan and our judges more ideologically divided.
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That said, it’s also true that even as this transformation has proceeded, the courts remain an institution about which many, many North Carolinians have only the most rudimentary understanding. And it’s in light of this fact that Newsline recently sat down with one of our state’s most knowledgeable experts on the courts – attorney, scholar and former appellate court judge Chris Brook. And as you’ll hear in the following two-part conversation with Brook, people who care about the state’s current situation and its future would do well to learn more about the make-up of our appellate courts and the upcoming elections that will shape their memberships.
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Click here for the full interview with former NC Court of Appeals Judge Chris Brook
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