NC Chief Justice launches review of state courts

There are at least 100 county courthouses in North Carolina, and the social tapestry of the state’s diverse and disparate communities are on display inside them.

On Monday, N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin talked about some of the thread-worn and knotty spots that have been exposed over the years and his plans to try to repair some of them.

Martin visited the editorial board at The News & Observer and outlined his vision for his newly appointed N.C. Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice.

The commission, set to hold its inaugural meeting on Wednesday at the N.C. Judicial Center, 901 Corporation Drive in Raleigh, will bring together key stakeholders within the justice system as well as representatives from the private and public sectors.

The idea, Martin said, is to do a thorough review of the courts and come up with a plan to strengthen the courts within the existing framework.

The result could be the first major reform of the state courts in the digital era with an emphasis not only on technology but a wide spectrum of issues. Among the ideas being considered is how to divert some of the non-violent criminals from their current path through the judicial system and removing barriers that keep the civil courts mired in protracted process.

Martin, who took over as chief justice of the N.C. Supreme Court nearly a year ago, compared the project to those undertaken by commissions in the late 1950s and 1990s.

The result from the Bell Commission study in the 1950s was the creation of North Carolina’s district courts, which began operating in 1966.

The Medlin Commission of the 1990s focused on the need for adequate funding to keep judicial independence.

Though the courts have struggled with inadequate funding in recent years, Martin said the focus of the commission following up 25 years after Medlin will be broad. “Every generation,” Martin said, it is good to take an assessment.

David F. Levi, the Duke University law school dean, will lead a group that looks at civil justice and concerns that nearly 80 percent of legal needs go unmet.

William A. Webb, a retired magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, will look at criminal investigations and cases. Catharine Biggs Arrowood, past president of the N.C. Bar Association, will focus her group on legal professionalism.

Barbara Jackson, an associate justice of the N.C. Supreme Court and an avid Twitter user, is at the helm of the group that will try to bring the state courts into an era of modern technology. She already has toured other court systems – Texas most recently – and made notes on successes and problems.

The analysis of the public’s trust and confidence in the courts will be led by J. Bradley Wilson, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

“We want to hear from many,” Martin said.

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 7:01 AM with the headline "NC Chief Justice launches review of state courts."