NC Appellate Courts Forum held at UNCW

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — UNCW students, faculty, and members of the public came out tonight to learn more about the North Carolina Appellate Courts and meet the judges.

A group of seven distinguished Justices on the North Carolina Supreme Court and Judges of the North Carolina Court of Appeals spoke at the forum.

The judges addressed the role and function of the appellate courts in our democracy, appellate jurisdiction and judicial philosophies.

“There’s a lot of attention right now on the appellate courts and I think in particular because people are talking about the US Supreme Court with the passing of Justice Scalia,” NC Court of Appeals Judge Richard Dietz said.

“Try to educate yourself about the judges because in North Carolina the people elect our judges,” NC Court of Appeals Judge Linda Stephens said.

The judges also discussed the North Carolina Constitution and recent developments in the interpretation of our state constitution as well as recent trends in civil rights protections afforded by North Carolina law.