NC Supreme Court Archives

North Carolina justice sworn in after long battle over result

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs has been sworn in to a new term after her Republican rival challenged the results over six months. Riggs took her oath Tuesday in Raleigh shortly after the State Board of Elections issued an election certificate to her. The board was complying with a federal judge who last week rejected Jefferson Griffin’s arguments that potentially thousands of ballots should be removed from the count. Griffin conceded rather than appeal. Riggs won by 734 votes. The race was the last undecided nationally among those called by The Associated Press in the 2024 general election.… Continue Reading

Longtime North Carolina House member Sarah Stevens plans to run for state Supreme Court

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — A veteran North Carolina Republican legislator says she will run next year for the state Supreme Court. Rep. Sarah Stevens of Surry County announced her decision on Wednesday. She plans to seek the seat currently held by Democratic Associate Justice Anita Earls, who is already preparing for a reelection bid. Stevens has served in the state House since 2009 and has become a leader on judicial matters. Earls is one of the two Democrats on the seven-member state Supreme Court. Stevens says if elected she would be “a conservative voice for justice and families” on the court.… Continue Reading

Unsettled North Carolina election could be determined by which ballots are subject to court orders

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Supreme Court decided recently that ballots from two categories should have been left out of the tally of an unresolved November election for a seat on the court. But there’s still legal friction about the number of ballots that must be scrutinized by election officials tasked with removing them from the count and giving voters the chance to provide information so their race choices can remain. The number is critical since Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin by just 734 votes. Griffin hopes enough ballots are removed to flip the result. Riggs says federal law prevents these ballots from being removed.… Continue Reading

Court directive to notify voters in close North Carolina election blocked for now

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Supreme Court has temporarily halted enforcement of a decision by an appeals court that favored a Republican candidate in a close and unresolved November election for the state’s highest court. The Supreme Court blocked Friday’s order by a Court of Appeals panel that otherwise would have essentially taken effect immediately. Monday’s stay means a directive telling election workers statewide to identify and contact potentially tens of thousands of voters whose ballots were challenged by Republican Jefferson Griffin won’t be carried out for now. Justice Allison Riggs leads by 734 votes. Her attorneys asked for the delay over the weekend.… Continue Reading

North Carolina justices decide family can sue over unwanted COVID-19 shot

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s highest court says a mother and son can sue a school system and a doctors’ group on allegations they gave the boy a COVID-19 vaccine without consent in 2021. The state Supreme Court on Friday reversed a lower-court decision that declared a federal health emergency law blocked the litigation. The Supreme Court has ruled the law did not prevent lawsuits alleging violations under the state constitution. According to the litigation, Tanner Smith was 14 when he received the vaccination against his will at a Guilford County school clinic. Smith and his mother, Emily Happel, filed a lawsuit alleging claims of battery and that their constitutional rights were violated.… Continue Reading

North Carolina Supreme Court passing for now on ruling if ballots in close race are valid

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina Supreme Court has dismissed a request by the trailing candidate in an close race for a seat on the court to rule now on whether well over 60,000 ballots should be removed from the tally. The justices on Wednesday ordered that the appeals of Republican Jefferson Griffin should be heard by the local trial court, as state law directs how appeals of protests rejected by the State Board of Elections should be handled. Current Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs leads Griffin by 734 votes. Riggs has recused herself from the court’s deliberations. It’s possible the case could ultimately return to the justices.… Continue Reading

North Carolina justices block certification of election outcome in race for one of its own seats

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Supreme Court has blocked the certification of a November election result for one of the seats on its court so it can review legal arguments by a trailing candidate. The Republican-dominated court on Tuesday issued the temporary stay sought by GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin. He is trailing Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs by just 734 votes. Griffin wants over 60,000 ballots removed from the tally because he contends they were cast improperly. Without the stay, the state was prepared to issue a certificate for Riggs on Friday confirming her victory. The stay was issued after a federal judge said a state court should consider Griffin’s litigation.cc… Continue Reading

Republican protests in close North Carolina races dismissed by elections board

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s elections board has dismissed protests filed by several Republican candidates trailing narrowly in their races last month who have questioned well over 60,000 ballots cast this fall. The Democratic-majority board agreed Wednesday to throw out the protests of GOP Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin and three legislative candidates. Members voted mostly along party lines. Griffin was fewer than 750 votes behind Demcoratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs from over 5.5 million ballots cast. The board’s decisions can be appealed to state court. One legislative race at issue could end the Republicans’ GOP veto-proof majority come next year.… Continue Reading

Democrat keeps slight lead for North Carolina Supreme Court as counties finish count

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The final counts by counties are about over and a Democratic incumbent on North Carolina’s Supreme Court has an ever-slight lead over a Republican challenger. Associate Justice Allison Riggs had trailed on election night by roughly 10,000 votes to Jefferson Griffin. But that margin dwindled last week as provisional and absentee ballots were considered. Riggs overtook Griffin and led by over 600 votes late Monday. Griffin can request a recount by Tuesday. A handful of legislative districts also remained close, including a state House race that if the margin holds for the Democrat would end the veto-proof majority that Republicans have held within the General Assembly.… Continue Reading

North Carolina court race is extremely close as counties complete election tallies

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An already close race for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat reached a razor-thin margin as most counties completed final tallies from the Nov. 5 election. Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin were essentially even as of Friday night. The margin is within the range for the trailing candidate to seek a recount. County election boards met to consider provisional or absentee ballots and certify local results. Several county boards likely will finish work Monday. Complete, canvassed results in areas with very close legislative races still indicate that Republicans are unlikely to maintain their veto-proof majority in the General Assembly come January.… Continue Reading