Who might be western NC’s next federal judge? Some names are being floated

President Biden has a vacancy to fill in the federal district court for western North Carolina. The judges on the court have all been white males for the past 150 years. The seat, now held by Max Cogburn, has attracted a diverse list of candidates, according to people familiar with the process. They include:

▪ Carla Archie, Mecklenburg County’s senior resident Superior Court judge, who is Black. Archie, who is believed by some to be among the front-runners for Cogburn’s seat, did not respond to an Observer email Tuesday seeking comment.

But in a February email to the Observer, on the day Biden announced Jackson as his pick for the Supreme Court, Archie touched on the significance of further diversifying the bench.

“As an African American woman who has never seen her image reflected on the highest court in our country, I feel extremely lucky to bear witness to this moment in history,” Archie wrote. “ It is a poignant reminder, especially during Black History Month, of the progress we have made as people of color, as women, and as a country; and my heart swells with pride.”

▪ Erin Taylor, a supervisor with the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Taylor, president-elect of the Mecklenburg County Bar, also is Black. She could not be reached for comment.

▪ Reggie McKnight, a Superior Court judge in Mecklenburg County and veteran attorney in the Western District courts. McKnight is Black.

▪ Noell Tin, the senior partner of a prominent Charlotte law firm who is highly active in Democratic politics. Tin has Burmese parentage. Reached by phone Tuesday, he declined comment.

▪ Dena King, who last year became the first Black woman to become U.S. Attorney in the Western District.

▪ David Keesler, a U.S. magistrate judge for the Western District since 2004. Keesler, a Charlotte native and former state and federal prosecutor, is White. “I have loved my work as a U.S. Magistrate Judge,” Keesler said in a Wednesday email, “and I would be deeply honored to be considered for the U.S. District Judge position.”

Other potential candidates include Buncombe County Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Grant, a longtime Asheville attorney and former president of the N.C. State Bar; Cheyenne Chambers, a former Charlotte attorney who now works for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department; and Meghann Burke, an Asheville attorney who is now executive director of the labor union representing women professional soccer players. If nominated, Burke would be the Western District’s first openly LGBTQ Article III judge. She declined comment Tuesday.

This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 3:05 PM.