North Carolina Court of Appeals

North Carolina Court of Appeals
Seal of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Building
Established1967
LocationRaleigh, North Carolina
Composition methodPartisan election
Authorised byConstitution of North Carolina
Appeals toNorth Carolina Supreme Court
Judge term length8 years (mandatory retirement at the age of 76)
Number of positions15
Websitehttps://www.nccourts.gov/courts/court-of-appeals
Chief Judge
CurrentlyChris 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]

  1. ^ "GS_7A-16". www.ncleg.net. Retrieved 2016-01-07.
  2. ^ "Court of Appeals Celebrates 40th Anniversary". NC Bar Association site.
  3. ^ "NC Policy Watch: McCrory signs Senate Bill 4". pulse.ncpoliciywatch.org.