North Carolina Supreme Court Decisions

Founded in 1799, the North Carolina Supreme Court is located in Raleigh. It holds jurisdiction over questions of law presented by cases in lower courts and proceedings in administrative agencies. The Court also has developed the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct, which provides seven canons to guide the actions of judges throughout the state. The Code emphasizes impartiality, independence, transparency, and other values that preserve public trust in the judiciary.

Seven justices currently serve on the North Carolina Supreme Court, which has fluctuated in size at various points throughout its history. To become a justice, a candidate must be an attorney who is no older than 71. North Carolina imposes a mandatory retirement age on justices, who must retire before the last day of the month in which they turn 72. Justices are chosen through elections in even-numbered years. These elections recently became partisan in 2018, which means that the party affiliation of the candidate appears on the ballot. In 2015, the legislature passed a law that would have replaced these competitive elections with retention elections. However, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling by a lower court that struck down this law as unconstitutional, leaving the current system in place.

If a vacancy arises in the middle of a justice’s term, the Governor of North Carolina will appoint a replacement. That justice must run in the first election that occurs at least 60 days after the vacancy arose to retain their seat. Each justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court serves an eight-year term, and the Chief Justice serves in that capacity for the full eight years. Voters determine the Chief Justice in an election, in contrast to the procedures used in most states. The North Carolina Constitution provides that the term of any justice begins on January 1 after they are elected or reelected.

Browse Opinions From the North Carolina Supreme Court
Recent Decisions From the North Carolina Supreme Court
State v. Davenport  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 155PA22

Justia Opinion Summary: Travis Davenport was convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon and first-degree murder of Mike Griffin. The evidence showed that Davenport and Griffin had a tumultuous relationship, culminating in a physical…

Cullen v. Logan Developers, Inc  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 155PA23

Justia Opinion Summary: Debra Cullen sued Logan Developers, Inc. for injuries sustained when she fell through a hole in her attic floor, which the defendant had cut to provide access to the home’s air handler. Cullen admitted she did not look…

State v. Daw  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 174PA21

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was sentenced to multiple consecutive terms of imprisonment in 2019 for obtaining property by false pretenses. In June 2020, he filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus, claiming his detention was unlawful…

Bottoms Towing & Recovery, LLC v. Circle of Seven, LLC  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 189A22

Justia Opinion Summary: Circle of Seven, LLC, left a Dodge Ram truck on a foreclosed property. The new property owner hired Bottoms Towing & Recovery to remove the truck. Bottoms Towing later sought to sell the truck to cover unpaid towing and…

In re A.J., J.C., J.C  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 206PA23

Justia Opinion Summary: In this juvenile proceeding, the Pitt County Department of Social Services (DSS) received several reports in 2021 regarding the respondent mother’s interactions with her children, Amanda, Jade, and Juliet. Incidents…

Arter v. Orange County  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 229A23

Justia Opinion Summary: Alison Arter purchased land from Stephen and Sharon Burt in Orange County, which included a home and a horse farm. The Burts retained ownership of an adjacent property. In 2020, a developer sought to subdivide the Burts'…

Department of Transportation v. Bloomsbury Estates, LLC  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 250PA21-2

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the distribution of compensation following an eminent domain action by the Department of Transportation (DOT) against Bloomsbury Estates, LLC (the Developer) and Bloomsbury Estates…

Kinsley v. Ace Speedway Racing, Ltd  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 280PA22

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina issued an executive order limiting attendance at outdoor venues to twenty-five people. Robert Turner, who operated Ace Speedway in…

State v. Phillips  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 281A23

Justia Opinion Summary: On April 4, 2021, Latoyna Dunlap approached Angela Benita Phillips' home, believing Phillips had complained about her to their landlord. Witnesses provided conflicting accounts of Dunlap's demeanor and the events that…

Ha v. Nationwide Gen. Ins. Co  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 312A19-2

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs Nhiem Tran and Nung Ha had a fire insurance policy with Nationwide General Insurance Company. Nationwide canceled the policy due to property hazards, including an unfenced swimming pool and rotting wood.…

State v. Applewhite  
Date: August 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 39A22

Justia Opinion Summary: Between December 2012 and March 2015, the defendant met several women, including A.C., H.M., A.B., and M.F., and supplied them with heroin, leading to their addiction. The defendant used heroin to coerce the women into…

In re A.J.L.H., C.A.L.W., M.J.L.H.  
Date: June 28, 2024
 Docket Number: 35PA21-2

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over visitation rights between a mother and her three children, Anna, Chris, and Margaret. The Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) had investigated the mother and…

Askew v. City of Kinston  
Date: June 28, 2024
 Docket Number: 55A23

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Joseph Askew, Charlie Gordon Wade III, and Curtis Washington, who sued the City of Kinston, North Carolina, alleging that the city's condemnation and demolition of their properties violated their rights…

Canteen v. Charlotte Metro Credit Union  
Date: May 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 10A23

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over a contract between a plaintiff, Pamela Phillips, and the defendant, Charlotte Metro Credit Union. In 2014, Phillips opened a checking account with the Credit Union and agreed to a…

State v. Reber  
Date: May 23, 2024
 Docket Number: 138A23

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Joshua Reber, who was convicted for sexually abusing a young child. The child, K.W., testified in detail about the abuse, which began when she was eight years old. Reber admitted to taking K.W.…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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