Republican Judge Resigns to Protest North Carolina GOPs Attack on Courts
Source: Slate
APRIL 24 2017 5:56 PM
By Mark Joseph Stern
The battle between North Carolinas Republican-dominated General Assembly and its Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has centered, in large part, around the judiciary. The GOP knows that many of its efforts to consolidate power are unlawful, and the courts have not hesitated to block legislative overreach. In response, North Carolina Republicans are attempting to simultaneously hobble the courts and pack them with partisans. Legislative Republicans are close to passing two bills that would strip Cooper of the authority to appoint many judges, delegating that task to the General Assembly instead. And they have already passed a bill shrinking the state Court of Appeals from 15 judges to 12a brazen effort to prevent Cooper from filling the vacancies left by three Republican judges set to step down during his term. Cooper vetoed the bill, but the legislature will soon enact the measure through veto override.
On Monday, however, one of these judges took a stand against the GOPs chicanery, resigning in protest of the bill targeting the Court of Appeals. Judge J. Douglas McCullough, a Republican, will reach the mandatory retirement age of 72 next month, requiring him to step down. At that point, the General Assembly will almost certainly have overridden Coopers veto, preventing him from appointing McCulloughs successor. So McCullough stepped down on Monday, allowing Cooper to appoint John Arrowood to replace him. Arrowood is a well-respected Democratic attorney who briefly sat on the Court of Appeals a decade ago. He is the courts first openly gay member.
In an interview with the Charlotte News & Observer, McCullough explained that the GOP bill would unduly burden the court by increasing the judges workload. (Most cases are heard by three-judge panels; on a smaller court, each judge would have to hear more cases.) He also pointed out that a 12-member court can be deadlocked on those rare, usually significant cases that are heard by the full court. But his key concern seemed to be GOPs assault on his court. In his interview, McCullough fondly recalled the era when Republican Gov. Jim Martin governed North Carolina alongside a Democratic-controlled General Assembly. In those days, McCullough noted sharply, the legislature did not interfere with (the governors) power to make appointments to the judiciary.
McCullough is a Republican and a conservative; he is no Democratic sympathizer. But its notable that the North Carolina GOPs attack on the judiciary has so alienated him that he would rather let a Democrat replace himas will happen under current lawthan be complicit in Republicans scheme. In its quest for total domination over state politics, the General Assembly is driving away even its former allies. McCullough deserves credit for taking a stand against its ongoing legislative coup.
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Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/04/24/north_carolina_republican_judge_resigns_in_protest_of_his_own_party_s_attack.html
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)Fornicate North Carolina Republicans.
JudyM
(29,280 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Thanks to Judge McCullough for standing up to protect one of the world's great government systems from destruction.
JudyM
(29,280 posts)I hope he writes about this issue, and extends it to cover the partisan theft of Garland's seat.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)Chipper Chat
(9,693 posts)Judge would be referred to as "openly straight"
Chipper Chat
(9,693 posts)Judge Amy Jones resigned last January and a replacement has finally been selected by Governor Hussein allahi. He is Joseph Murcan, an openly - straight mman. In a statement
MURCAN assured the public that his decisions will not be biased against anyone because of race color sexual orientation or creed and will follow the example of his predhairdresser, I mean predecessor.
iluvtennis
(19,876 posts)Sculpin Beauregard
(1,046 posts)agree on his politics but at least he's trying to protest the rigged GOP bullshit.
JDC
(10,133 posts)Freethinker65
(10,058 posts)Dorn
(523 posts)mountain grammy
(26,655 posts)Haven't seen that since.. I'm thinking, I'm thinking. OK Everitt Dirkson?
bucolic_frolic
(43,308 posts)Most welcome, thank you, Sir!
mdbl
(4,976 posts)how much proof do they need?
ProfessorPlum
(11,277 posts)And they want to run the country the same way. Good for this judge. I hope he remains safe from the mob.
Cha
(297,704 posts)disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)there are still some (conservatives?) with a moral compass.. that gives us all some hope..
bluestarone
(17,057 posts)So thankful for the true blue Republican wish there were more like you this country could be the BEST TY from bottom of my heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!