GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1995 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 589

HOUSE BILL 233

 

AN ACT TO TRANSFER MOORE COUNTY TO JUDICIAL AND PROSECUTORIAL DISTRICTS 19B.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  (a) G.S. 7A-41(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      The counties of the State are organized into judicial divisions and superior court districts, and each superior court district has the counties, and the number of regular resident superior court judges set forth in the following table, and for districts of less than a whole county, as set out in subsection (b) of this section:

                          Superior

Judicial             Court                                                                        No. of Resident

Division            District             Counties                                             Judges

 

First                  1                        Camden, Chowan,                                   2

Currituck,

Dare, Gates,

Pasquotank,

Perquimans

2                        Beaufort, Hyde,                                      1

Martin,

Tyrrell, Washington

3A                     Pitt                                                           2

3B                     Carteret, Craven,                                    2

Pamlico

4A                     Duplin, Jones,                                         1

Sampson

                          4B                      Onslow                                                    1

5                        New Hanover,                                         3

Pender

6A                     Halifax                                                     1

6B                     Bertie, Hertford,                                    1

Northampton

                          7A                      Nash                                                         1

                          7B                      (part of Wilson,                                      1

part of Edgecombe,

see subsection (b))

7C                     (part of Wilson,                                      1

part of Edgecombe,

see subsection (b))

8A                     Lenoir and Greene                                 1

8B                     Wayne                                                     1

Second              9                        Franklin, Granville,                                2

                                                     Vance, Warren

9A                     Person, Caswell                                      1

10A                   (part of Wake,                                         2

see subsection (b))

10B                   (part of Wake,                                         2

see subsection (b))

10C                   (part of Wake,                                         1

see subsection (b))

10D                   (part of Wake,                                         1

see subsection (b))

11A                   Harnett,                                                   1

Lee

11B                   Johnston                                                  1

12A                   (part of Cumberland,                              1

see subsection (b))

12B                   (part of Cumberland,                              1

see subsection (b))

12C                   (part of Cumberland,                              2

see subsection (b))

13                      Bladen, Brunswick,                                2

Columbus

14A                   (part of Durham,                                     1

see subsection (b))

14B                   (part of Durham,                                     3

see subsection (b))

15A                   Alamance                                                2

15B                   Orange, Chatham                                    1

                          16A                   Scotland, Hoke                                       1

16B                   Robeson                                                  2

Third                 17A                   Rockingham                                            2

17B                   Stokes, Surry                                          2

18A                   (part of Guilford,                                    1

see subsection (b))

18B                   (part of Guilford,                                    1

see subsection (b))

18C                   (part of Guilford,                                    1

see subsection (b))

18D                   (part of Guilford,                                    1

see subsection (b))

18E                   (part of Guilford,                                    1

see subsection (b))

19A                   Cabarrus                                                  1

19B                   Montgomery, Moore,                            1 2

Randolph

19C                   Rowan                                                      1

20A                   Anson, Moore,                                        2 1

Richmond

                          20B                   Stanly, Union                                          2

                          21A                   (part of Forsyth,                                     1

see subsection (b))

21B                   (part of Forsyth,                                     1

see subsection (b))

21C                   (part of Forsyth,                                     1

see subsection (b))

21D                   (part of Forsyth,                                     1

see subsection (b))

22                      Alexander, Davidson,                             2

Davie, Iredell

23                      Alleghany, Ashe,                                     1

Wilkes, Yadkin

Fourth               24                      Avery, Madison,                                     1

Mitchell,

Watauga, Yancey

25A                   Burke, Caldwell                                      2

                          25B                   Catawba                                                   2

26A                   (part of Mecklenburg,                            2

see subsection (b))

26B                   (part of Mecklenburg,                            2

see subsection (b))

26C                   (part of Mecklenburg,                            2

see subsection (b))

27A                   Gaston                                                     2

27B                   Cleveland, Lincoln                                 2

28                      Buncombe                                               2

29                      Henderson,                                              2

McDowell, Polk,

Rutherford,

Transylvania

                          30A                   Cherokee, Clay,                                      1

Graham, Macon,

Swain

30B                   Haywood, Jackson                                  1"

(b)       The superior court judgeship held on June 12, 1996, in Superior Court District 20A by a resident of Moore County (James M. Webb) is allocated to Superior Court District 19B.  The term of that judge expires December 31, 2000.  The judge's successor shall be elected in the 2000 general election.

(b1)     The superior court judgeship held on June 12, 1996, in Superior Court District 20A by a resident of Anson County (Donald R. Huffman) is allocated to Superior Court District 20A.  The term of that judge expires December 31, 2000.  The judge's successor shall be elected in the 2000 general election.

(c)       G.S. 7A-41(d)(39) reads as rewritten:

"(39)   In the nineteenth-B superior court district, Russell G. Walker, Jr., serves a term expiring December 31, 1990.  No election shall be held in 1998 for the full term of the seat now occupied by Russell G. Walker, Jr., and the holder of that seat shall serve until a successor is elected in 2000 and qualifies.  The succeeding term shall begin January 1, 2001."

Sec. 2.  (a) G.S. 7A-133(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      Each district court district shall have the numbers of judges  as set forth in the following table:

 

District     Judges                        County

 

       1               4                           Camden

                                                     Chowan

Currituck

Dare

Gates

Pasquotank

Perquimans

       2               3                           Martin

Beaufort

Tyrrell

Hyde

Washington

       3A            4                           Pitt

       3B            4                           Craven

Pamlico

Carteret

       4               6                           Sampson

Duplin

Jones

Onslow

       5               6                           New Hanover

Pender

       6A            2                           Halifax

       6B            3                           Northampton

Bertie

Hertford

       7               6                           Nash

                                                     Edgecombe

Wilson

       8               6                           Wayne

Greene

Lenoir

       9               4                           Granville

(part of Vance

see subsection (b))

Franklin

       9A            2                           Person

Caswell

       9B            1                           Warren

(part of Vance

see subsection (b))

       10            12                        Wake

       11            6                           Harnett

Johnston

Lee

       12            7                           Cumberland

       13            4                           Bladen

Brunswick

Columbus

       14            5                           Durham

       15A          3                           Alamance

       15B          3                           Orange

Chatham

       16A          2                           Scotland

Hoke

       16B          5                           Robeson

       17A          2                           Rockingham

       17B          3                           Stokes

Surry

       18            11                        Guilford

       19A          3                           Cabarrus

       19B          35                        Montgomery

Moore

Randolph

       19C          3                           Rowan

       20            76                        Stanly

Union

Anson

Richmond

Moore

       21            7                           Forsyth

       22            7                           Alexander

Davidson

Davie

Iredell

       23            3                           Alleghany

Ashe

Wilkes

Yadkin

       24            3                           Avery

Madison

Mitchell

Watauga

Yancey

       25            7                           Burke

Caldwell

Catawba

       26            14                        Mecklenburg

       27A          5                           Gaston

       27B          4                           Cleveland

Lincoln

       28            5                           Buncombe

       29            5                           Henderson

McDowell

Polk

Rutherford

Transylvania

       30            4                           Cherokee

Clay

Graham

Haywood

Jackson

Macon

Swain."

(b)       Each district court judgeship held on June 12, 1996, in District Court District 20 by a resident of Moore County (Michael Earle Beale and Jayrene Russell Maness) is allocated to District Court District 19B.  The term of each of these judges expires December 7, 1998.  A successor to each judge shall be elected in the 1998 general election.

(c)       Each district court judgeship held on June 12, 1996, in District Court District 20 by a resident of Anson, Richmond, Stanly, or Union County (Ronald W. Burris, Tanya Wallace, Christopher W. Bragg, Susan C. Taylor, and Joseph J. Williams) is allocated to District Court District 20.  The terms of Judges Burris, Wallace, Bragg, and Williams expire December 2, 1996.  A successor to each judge shall be elected in the 1996 general election.  The term of Judge Taylor expires December 7, 1998.  A successor shall be elected in the 1998 general election.

(d)       The effect of subsections (a) through (c) of this section is also to add an additional district court judgeship in District Court District 20 effective January 1, 1997.  The Governor shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term expiring the first Monday in December of 2000."

Sec. 3.  (a) G.S. 7A-60(a1) reads as rewritten:

"(a1)    The counties of the State are organized into prosecutorial districts, and each district has the counties and the number of full-time assistant district attorneys set forth in the following table:

No. of Full-Time

Prosecutorial                                                                                              Asst. District

District                             Counties                                                      Attorneys

1                         Camden, Chowan, Currituck,                                       8

Dare, Gates, Pasquotank,

Perquimans

2                         Beaufort, Hyde, Martin,                                               4

Tyrrell, Washington

3A                      Pitt                                                                                 7

3B                      Carteret, Craven, Pamlico                                           6

4                         Duplin, Jones, Onslow,                                                10

Sampson

5                         New Hanover, Pender                                                  9

6A                      Halifax                                                                           3

6B                      Bertie, Hertford,                                                          3

Northampton

7                         Edgecombe, Nash, Wilson                                          10

8                         Greene, Lenoir, Wayne                                               8

9                         Franklin, Granville,                                                      8

Vance, Warren

9A                      Person, Caswell                                                            2

10                       Wake                                                                             20

11                       Harnett, Johnston, Lee                                                 10

12                       Cumberland                                                                   12

13                       Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus                                    6

14                       Durham                                                                          9

15A                    Alamance                                                                      6

15B                    Orange, Chatham                                                          5

16A                    Scotland, Hoke                                                             3

16B                    Robeson                                                                        7

17A                    Rockingham                                                                  4

17B                    Stokes, Surry                                                                4

18                       Guilford                                                                        18

19A                    Cabarrus                                                                        4

19B                    Montgomery, Moore, Randolph                                 5 9

19C                    Rowan                                                                            4

20                       Anson, Moore, Richmond,                                          12

Stanly, Union

21                       Forsyth                                                                          12

22                       Alexander, Davidson, Davie,                                       11

Iredell

23                       Alleghany, Ashe, Wilkes,                                            4

Yadkin

24                       Avery, Madison, Mitchell,                                           3

Watauga, Yancey

25                       Burke, Caldwell, Catawba                                            11

26                       Mecklenburg                                                                 24

27A                    Gaston                                                                           8

27B                    Cleveland,                                                                     5

Lincoln

28                       Buncombe                                                                     8

29                       Henderson, McDowell, Polk,                                     8

Rutherford, Transylvania

30                       Cherokee, Clay, Graham,                                             6

Haywood, Jackson, Macon,

Swain."

(b)       This section adds four additional assistant district attorneys in prosecutorial District 19B which shall be filled by the district attorney of that district.  The General Assembly shall evaluate prior to July 1, 1998, whether the authorized number of assistant district attorneys for District 20 should remain based on case load at 11 or some lower number not less than 9.

Sec. 4.  Notwithstanding G.S. 7A-44.1, if any judge who on June 12, 1996, was a senior resident superior court judge ceases to be the senior resident superior court judge for a superior court district as a result of the transfer of a county from one superior court district to another, that judge may nevertheless appoint a judicial secretary to serve that judge's clerical and secretarial needs during that judge's continuation in office, at that judge's pleasure and under that judge's direction.

Sec. 5.  (a) Sections 1, 3, and 4 of this act become effective January 4, 1997, or the date upon which those sections are approved under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, whichever is later.  Section 2 of this act becomes effective January 1, 1997, or the date upon which those sections are approved under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, whichever is later.  This section is effective upon ratification.

(b)       The Superior Court election in Superior Court District 20A in the November 1996 general election for the seat of the superior court judge now residing in Anson County is not affected by this act and is conducted as previously provided by law.

(c)       Effective on the occurrence of the first vacant assistant district attorney position in Prosecutorial District 20 after January 1, 1997, the number of assistant district attorneys in that district in G.S. 7A-60(a1) is amended by deleting "12”and substituting "11".

(d)       Effective on the occurrence of the first vacant assistant district attorney position in Prosecutorial District 19B after January 1, 1997, the number of assistant district attorneys in that district in G.S. 7A-60(a1) is amended by deleting "9”and substituting "8".  The Administrative Office of the Courts shall notify the Revisor of Statutes as those vacancies occur.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 20th day of June, 1996.

 

 

───────────────────

Dennis A. Wicker

President of the Senate

 

 

───────────────────

Harold J. Brubaker

Speaker of the House of Representatives