| Court Name: | North Carolina Court of Appeals |
| Established: | 1967 |
| Location: | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Type: | Partisan election |
| Authority: | Constitution of North Carolina |
| Appealsto: | North Carolina Supreme Court |
| Terms: | 8 years (mandatory retirement at the age of 76) |
| Positions: | 15 |
| Website: | https://www.nccourts.gov/courts/court-of-appeals |
| Chiefjudgetitle: | Chief Judge |
| Chiefjudgename: | Chris Dillon |
The North Carolina Court of Appeals (in case citation, N.C. Ct. App.) is the only intermediate appellate court in the state of North Carolina. It is composed of fifteen members who sit in rotating panels of three.[1] The Court of Appeals was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1967 after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1965 which "authorized the creation of an intermediate court of appeals to relieve pressure on the North Carolina Supreme Court."[2]
Judges serve eight-year terms and are elected in statewide elections. The General Assembly made Court of Appeals elections non-partisan starting with the 2004 elections, but later made them partisan again after the 2016 elections.[3]
The Court of Appeals, along with the Supreme Court, constitute the Appellate Division within North Carolina's unified court system, the General Court of Justice.
Judges of the court are elected in statewide races to serve eight-year terms.[4]
| Seniority | Name | Born | Joined | Term ends | Mandatory retirement | Law school | Party affiliation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | , Chief Judge | 2028 | April 20, 2041 | North Carolina | Republican | ||||
| 2 | 28 June 1964 | 2007 | 2030 | June 28, 2040 | Campbell | Republican | |||
| 3 | 14 July 1953 | 2001–09, 2015 | 2030 | July 14, 2029 | Campbell | Republican | |||
| 4 | 2015 | 2024 | 2040 | Republican | |||||
| 5 | 2024 | Jan 24, 2059 | University of the Pacific | Republican | |||||
| 6 | 4 November 1956 | 2007–08, 2017 | 2026 | 2032 | North Carolina | Democratic | |||
| 7 | 13 January 1972 | 2026 | Jan. 30, 2048 | Campbell | Democratic | ||||
| 8 | 20 December 1975 | 2026 | Dec. 20, 2051 | Campbell | Democratic | ||||
| 9 | 2028 | Campbell | Republican | ||||||
| 10 | 2028 | Regent | Republican | ||||||
| 11 | 2028 | Appalachian | Republican | ||||||
| 12 | 7 October 1980 | 2028 | 2056 | NC Central | Republican | ||||
| 13 | 2030 | New Hampshire | Republican | ||||||
| 14 | 2030 | Campbell | Republican | ||||||
| 15 | 2024 | NC Central | Democratic |
Notes:
A partial list of former judges is listed below:[5]