Anita Earls Coverage

NC ethics panel drops investigation into Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls

NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls had sued the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission to stop an investigation into her for giving media interviews in which she spoke about racial, political and gender biases at the Supreme Court, where she's the only Black justice.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

AARON MENDELSON: Not just the Supreme Court: Ethics troubles plague state high courts, too

Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 -- North Carolina's Supreme Court chief justice heard cases despite a conflict of interest. Experts say judicial ethics at state high courts everywhere don't receive the scrutiny they deserve.

Aaron Mendelson, Center for Public Integrity

Editorial: Respect law, not partisanship, must be state Supreme Court majority's guide

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023 -- If the current N.C. high court, regardless of those justices who end up considering the latest Leandro appeal, respect the State Constitution and the rights of children; if they respect the doctrine of stare decisis, they will continue to require the implementation of the remedial plan to assure a sound basic education everywhere in the state. North Carolina will be better for it.

Another loss for NC Supreme Court justice seeking to stop ethics probe

Racial justice advocates and fellow Democrats say the ethics investigation into state Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls for her comments on race, politics and the judiciary is an attempt to silence all Black attorneys and judges from speaking out against systemic racism.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Ethics investigation into NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls can continue, federal judge rules

Earls is being investigated by the Judicial Standards Commission for comments she made in media interviews about racial, gender and political biases on the state's highest court. Most of the Supreme Court justices are white Republican men; Earls is the only Black woman on the court as well as one of only two Democrats.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

In Earls investigation, federal judge wrangles with key question: How political can NC Supreme Court justices get?

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls Earls is suing the state Judicial Standards Commission to stop an ethics investigation she says is targeting her for critiques she made about racial, gender and political biases at the state's highest court.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Editorial: Hyper-partisan high court shatters trust in N.C.'s judicial system

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 -- Trust in our judicial system is fragile and the damage already being done will take time and work to restore it. An important step would be to remove partisanship in the selection of our judges and justices.

DRAUGHON DRAWS: A muted justice?

Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 --- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist.

DAWN BLAGROVE & MELISSA PRICE KROMM: Partisan extremism threatens N.C. courts

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 -- It's time we tell politicians to cut these extremist proposals from the budget and stop using our judicial commissions as a cudgel against honest, hard-working judges. It's time we take back our courts.

'Taking us back to Jim Crow': Black lawyers say NC Supreme Court investigation motivated by racism

The investigation, which has the potential to remove Justice Anita Earls from office, is based on comments she made highlighting racial and gender bias within the state courts system.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Cooper selects voting access advocate Allison Riggs to fill appeals court seat

Riggs will replace a Republican judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Republicans dislike her track record of challenging state voting maps.

Bryan Anderson, WRAL state government reporter

'Ramifications are substantial.' How Republicans gained a lasting grip on the NC Supreme Court

North Carolina Republicans are assured of a majority on the Supreme Court for at least six years. The new court is likely to reach far different conclusions on cases about education funding, redistricting, voting rights and, potentially, abortion rights.

Brian Murphy, WRAL News

NC's Earls 'honored' as short list talk swirls on US Supreme Court nomination

State Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls and former Chief Justice Cheri Beasley are among the names being bandied about by pundits as possible replacements for retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter