Sarah Parker
Encyclopedia
Sarah Parker is an American
judge, currently the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
.
, Parker attended Meredith College
, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
with an Education degree and served with the Peace Corps
in Turkey
from 1964 to 1966 before returning to Chapel Hill to earn a Law degree (1969). After working in private law practice for 15 years, Parker was named by Governor Jim Hunt
to the North Carolina Court of Appeals
in late 1984. Voters elected and re-elected her to that Court in 1986 and 1990.
Parker was elected by the people to the state's Supreme Court in November 1992. After she lost a bid for re-election to a full term in 1994, she was reappointed to another seat by Hunt. She was elected to a regular 8-year term on the court in 1996
. In 2004, Parker was elected to another eight-year term on the court, defeating John M. Tyson
in the statewide judicial elections
.
She is currently the North Carolina Supreme Court's most experienced sitting justice, including service as Associate Justice.
announced that he was appointing Parker Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace the retiring I. Beverly Lake
. Parker took the oath of office on February 6, becoming the third female Chief Justice of North Carolina's highest court, after Susie Sharp
and Rhoda Billings
.
At the time of her appointment, former Justice Robert F. Orr
, a Republican and executive director of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, was quoted in the Charlotte Observer calling Parker "probably one of the more conservative justices that has been on the court in a good long while...She's going to be reluctant to go out on a limb ... My sense is that you would find very few cases that were close to the line where she favored criminal defendants."
Parker calls herself a moderate conservative. "I tend to stick very closely to precedent and the intent of the legislature as expressed in the language of the statute," she said in that article.
Parker decided to run for a full term as Chief Justice in the November 2006 election. Although judicial races in North Carolina are non-partisan, Parker was backed by the North Carolina Democratic Party
.
On November 7, 2006
, Parker was elected Chief Justice by a 2-to-1 margin over Judge Rusty Duke
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
judge, currently the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
North Carolina Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...
.
Education and career
Born in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, Parker attended Meredith College
Meredith College
Meredith College is a liberal arts women's college located in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the 2010-2011 academic year, there were approximately 2,300 students enrolled, including about 350 graduate students, making Meredith the largest women's college in the southeastern United States...
, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
with an Education degree and served with the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
from 1964 to 1966 before returning to Chapel Hill to earn a Law degree (1969). After working in private law practice for 15 years, Parker was named by Governor Jim Hunt
Jim Hunt
James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...
to the North Carolina Court of Appeals
North Carolina Court of Appeals
The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate appellate court in the state of North Carolina. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating groups of three...
in late 1984. Voters elected and re-elected her to that Court in 1986 and 1990.
Parker was elected by the people to the state's Supreme Court in November 1992. After she lost a bid for re-election to a full term in 1994, she was reappointed to another seat by Hunt. She was elected to a regular 8-year term on the court in 1996
North Carolina judicial elections, 1996
The North Carolina judicial elections of 1996 were held statewide on November 5, 1996, to elect judges to the North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals. A total of three seats were on the ballot, and in each case, incumbents who had been appointed by Gov...
. In 2004, Parker was elected to another eight-year term on the court, defeating John M. Tyson
John M. Tyson
John Marsh Tyson is an American judge, who currently serves as a Recall Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, after completing an eight-year statewide elected term, and as an Emergency Superior Court Judge. At Tyson & Associates, he practiced landlord-tenant, land use, and real property...
in the statewide judicial elections
North Carolina judicial elections, 2004
Judges of the North Carolina Supreme Court and the North Carolina Court of Appeals are elected to eight-year terms in statewide judicial elections. In 2004, all these races were non-partisan. The U.S. Presidential election, 2004, U.S. House election, 2004, U.S...
.
She is currently the North Carolina Supreme Court's most experienced sitting justice, including service as Associate Justice.
Chief Justice appointment and election
On January 19, 2006, Governor Mike EasleyMike Easley
Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...
announced that he was appointing Parker Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace the retiring I. Beverly Lake
I. Beverly Lake
I. Beverly Lake, Jr. is an American jurist and public official, who served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court....
. Parker took the oath of office on February 6, becoming the third female Chief Justice of North Carolina's highest court, after Susie Sharp
Susie Sharp
Susie Marshall Sharp was an American jurist who served as the first female Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She was not the first woman to head the highest court in a U.S...
and Rhoda Billings
Rhoda Billings
Rhoda Bryan Billings is an American lawyer and a former justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.Billings earned her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1966. She served four years as a state District Court judge . Governor James G...
.
At the time of her appointment, former Justice Robert F. Orr
Robert F. Orr
Robert F. Orr is an American lawyer, formerly an Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.Orr was born in Norfolk, Virginia and spent his childhood in Hendersonville, North Carolina. After earning his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Orr served...
, a Republican and executive director of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, was quoted in the Charlotte Observer calling Parker "probably one of the more conservative justices that has been on the court in a good long while...She's going to be reluctant to go out on a limb ... My sense is that you would find very few cases that were close to the line where she favored criminal defendants."
Parker calls herself a moderate conservative. "I tend to stick very closely to precedent and the intent of the legislature as expressed in the language of the statute," she said in that article.
Parker decided to run for a full term as Chief Justice in the November 2006 election. Although judicial races in North Carolina are non-partisan, Parker was backed by the North Carolina Democratic Party
North Carolina Democratic Party
The North Carolina Democratic Party is the North Carolina affiliate of the national Democratic Party in the United States. It is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. They are located in the historic Goodwin house which is located in the downtown area of Raleigh at 220 Hillsborough Street...
.
On November 7, 2006
North Carolina judicial elections, 2006
Justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court and judges of the North Carolina Court of Appeals are elected to eight-year terms in statewide judicial elections. In 2006, allthese races were non-partisan...
, Parker was elected Chief Justice by a 2-to-1 margin over Judge Rusty Duke
Rusty Duke
Russell "Rusty" Duke is a judge of the North Carolina Superior Court in Pitt County, North Carolina for the past fourteen years, who unsuccessfully ran for the office of Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court in November 2006...
.