Endorsements: Our choices for NC Court of Appeals, Superior Court races

Voters have several strong choices for 2022 NC Court of Appeals and Superior Court seats. Our recommendations for contested races:

NC Court of Appeals

Seat 8: Republican Julee Tate Flood and Democrat Carolyn Jennings Thompson are running to replace Judge Lucy Inman, who is running for the NC Supreme Court. Flood is an attorney for Court of Appeals Judge Jeff Carpenter and has been an instructor at Elon and Duke. Thompson is a former district and superior court judge who started her career with child protective services.

Both candidates are qualified to fill this position, but only Thompson has held elected office as a judge prior to the election. We recommend Thompson.

Seat 9: The race for Seat 9 on the Court of Appeals offers a choice between two types of experience. Donna Stroud, the Republican incumbent, manages the court’s operations as chief judge. She has served on the court for 15 years after working as a lawyer and serving as a Wake County District Court judge. There’s no doubt about Stroud’s conservative judicial philosophy, but she is regarded as a fair and impartial judge by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Challenging Stroud is Democrat Brad Salmon, a district court judge for Lee, Harnett and Johnston counties since 2021. Salmon has a good mix of experience as a lawyer, state representative and district court judge, but his record is no match for Stroud’s. We recommend Stroud.

Seat 10: Judge John M. Tyson, a Republican, seeks re-election to the Court of Appeals, having already served two non-consecutive terms. His Democratic opponent is Gale Adams, who is currently a Superior Court judge.

Tyson’s website says he “maintains a conservative judicial philosophy.” As an appellate judge, Tyson has authored a number of troubling opinions, including his dissent from a 2020 decision allowing LGBTQ people to seek emergency protections from abuse by a same-sex partner.

Adams is well-qualified; before her election to Superior Court in 2012, Adams was an assistant district attorney as well as a federal public defender. She thinks diversity on the court is important and understands the value of an independent judiciary. We recommend Adams.

Seat 11: Republican Michael Stading, a District Court judge in Mecklenburg, faces Democrat Darren Jackson, a longtime legislator who was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Gov. Roy Cooper in 2020. Jackson, from eastern Wake County, practiced law before serving in the NC House for 12 years. That experience can be an asset on the bench.

Stading, however, brings a greater breadth of legal experience as a judge, prosecutor and JAG officer in the U.S. Air Force. Attorneys who appear before him laud his fairness, compassion and deep grasp of the law. We recommend Stading.

Superior Court

Cureton-Havelka: Two District Court judges, Democrat Donald Cureton and Republican Paulina Havelka, face off in this Superior Court race. Havelka defeated Cureton in a 2018 District Court race marred by Republican gerrymandering. Cureton was appointed the bench a year later by Gov. Roy Cooper.

Cureton continues to be among Mecklenburg’s most highly regarded judges for his thoughtful deliberation and communication with all parties in his courtroom. Havelka, who has been a capable judge but is thought of less highly in the legal community, did not interview with the Editorial Board. We recommend Cureton.

Best-Osman: Voters will choose between two experienced judges, Democrat Kimberly Best and Republican Matt Osman. Osman, who took the District Court bench in 2011, also has worked as both a prosecutor and defense attorney and has extensive experience in treatment courts. Best, who was a District Court judge for 13 years before being appointed to Superior Court last year, has broad experience that includes juvenile court and civil court leadership.

Osman is highly regarded by Democrats and Republicans alike in the Mecklenburg legal community for his fairness and temperament. We give Osman a slight nod.

This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 6:00 AM.