• Home
• Voting & Democracy
  • Go Vote
  • N.C. Voter Guide
  • VoterRadio.com
• Research & Publications
  • Follow the Money
  • NCCVE Research
• Multimedia
  • The Voter Update Podcast
• For the Media
  • News Releases
  • Media Advisories
  • Contact NCCVE
• About Us
  • Board of Directors
  • Staff
  • Contribute to NCCVE
  • Contact Us
• Search

For immediate release.
July 19, 2002
Contact: Jesse Rutledge, N.C. Center for Voter Education,
(919) 839-1200

800-Plus Attorneys Respond to Letter from Robert Morgan

RALEIGH - Joining the growing ranks of those calling for campaign reform in North Carolina, more than 800 attorneys recently added their names to the list of civic and business leaders who endorse changing how judges are elected in North Carolina.

Among those who have signed the statement are former NC Supreme Court Justices Henry Frye (D), James Exum (D), Burley Mitchell (D), John Webb (D), and Francis Parker (R). In addition, leaders of the North Carolina State Bar show remarkable unanimity in backing the reform effort: The incoming president, the current president, and the 11 immediate past presidents have all signed the support statement. The State Bar is the agency responsible for regulating the practice of law in North Carolina.

The support statements are part of an ongoing outreach effort being conducted under the auspices of North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections and its member groups. Earlier this year, Center for Voter Education Chairman Robert Morgan, a former United States Senator and North Carolina Attorney General, sent out a letter to attorneys across the state outlining why changes are needed now to North Carolina’s judicial election system and asking for like-minded attorneys to sign a statement of support. Morgan has been practicing law in North Carolina for over 50 years, and has become the premiere spokesman for campaign finance reform in North Carolina.

“Getting this kind of overwhelming support is very reassuring,” Morgan said. “Attorneys are the backbone of our justice system. They are the ones who experience first hand the pressures our campaign system creates for judges. Like most North Carolinians, attorneys want a fairer system, so we can preserve equal justice for all in North Carolina.”

The statement reads, in part: “We support a program that gives candidates for the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals the option of financing their campaigns from a publicly supported Fair Elections Fund in order to help preserve the independence and impartiality of our state courts.”

Legislation has been approved by the North Carolina Senate that would create a voluntary public financing alternative for qualified appellate-level judicial candidates, make those races non-partisan, and mandate the production of a state voter guide to help educate voters about judicial candidates qualifications and experience. The bill would also reduce the contribution limit from $4,000 to $1,000 per donor for all candidates for these offices. The bill is currently being considered by the N.C. House of Representatives.

More information about the support statement is available by calling Jesse Rutledge with the N.C. Center for Voter Education at (919) 839-1200 or Erin Byrd at N.C. Voters for Clean Elections (919) 838-8683.

###