North Carolina Judicial Branch Celebrates Women’s Equality Day on August 26

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Judicial Branch celebrates Women’s Equality Day on August 26 which was the date selected to commemorate the anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This year’s celebration is of particular importance because it is the centennial of the 19th Amendment’s ratification in 1920. 

“It is vitally important to remember the struggles and accomplishments of women in North Carolina and the United States as a whole,” said Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. “We stand on the shoulders of the women who came before us and blazed the trail. Their struggles created opportunities for future generations of women to lead and to serve.”

North Carolina has a long history of trailblazing women who have served as judges and justices in our state courts. In 1968, Judge Elreta Alexander became the first black woman in the country elected to the district court bench. She later ran for Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, but lost her primary election to a fire extinguisher salesman with no college education or law license.

Chief Justice Susie Sharp ultimately won the election that year, becoming the first woman to lead the state’s Supreme Court, and only the second woman in the country to lead a state’s highest appellate court.

Near the end of her tenure, Chief Justice Susie Sharp appointed Judge Naomi Morris to serve as Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, making her the first woman to lead that court since its creation in 1967.

One hundred years after ratification of the 19th Amendment, women play key leadership roles in the North Carolina Judicial Branch. Both of North Carolina’s statewide appellate courts are led by women, Supreme Court of North Carolina Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, and North Carolina Court of Appeals Chief Judge Linda McGee. A total of 164 women serve as North Carolina district court judges, superior court judges, and judges and justices on North Carolina’s appellate courts. In addition, 11 women currently serve as elected district attorneys, and another 58 serve as elected clerks of superior court. In all, women make up 43% of all elected positions in North Carolina’s Judicial Branch.

“One hundred years is not that long when it comes to essential rights like voting,” said Chief Judge Linda McGee of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the second highest court in the state. “Perhaps your mother or your grandmother experienced the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave her a voice in her government, and broke the glass ceiling that empowers today’s women with self-determination and gives them equal opportunities.”

In honor of the women currently serving on the judicial bench in North Carolina, below is a list recognizing the women judges and justices in our state organized by court and district.  

Name	Position	County	District
Cheri L. Beasley	Chief Justice Supreme Court	Wake	Supreme Court
Robin E. Hudson	Associate Justice Supreme Court	Wake	Supreme Court
Anita Sue Earls	Associate Justice Supreme Court	Wake	Supreme Court
Linda M. McGee	Chief Judge Court Of Appeals	Wake	Court of Appeals
Wanda G. Bryant	Judge Court of Appeals	Wake	Court of Appeals
Donna S. Stroud	Judge Court of Appeals	Wake	Court of Appeals
Lucy Noble Inman	Judge Court of Appeals	Wake	Court of Appeals
Valerie Johnson Zachary	Judge Court of Appeals	Wake	Court of Appeals
Allegra Katherine Torrey Collins	Judge Court of Appeals	Wake	Court of Appeals
Phyllis Marie Gorham	Senior Resident Superior Court Judge	New Hanover	Superior Court 5
Alma L. Hinton	Senior Resident Superior Court Judge	Halifax	Superior Court 6A
Imelda J. Pate	Senior Resident Superior Court Judge	Lenoir	Superior Court 8A
Cynthia King Sturges	Superior Court Judge	Franklin	Superior Court 9
Rebecca W. Holt	Superior Court Judge	Wake	Superior Court 10
Claire V. Hill	Superior Court Judge	Cumberland	Superior Court 12
Mary Ann L. Tally	Superior Court Judge	Cumberland	Superior Court 12
Gale M. Adams	Superior Court Judge	Cumberland	Superior Court 12
Josephine Elizabeth Kerr	Superior Court Judge	Durham	Superior Court 14
Dawn Mcdonald Layton	Superior Court Judge	Richmond	Superior Court 16A
Angela B. Puckett	Senior Resident Superior Court Judge	Stokes	Superior Court 17B
Lora Christine Cubbage	Superior Court Judge	Guilford	Superior Court 18
Susan E. Bray	Superior Court Judge	Guilford	Superior Court 18
Anna Mills Wagoner	Senior Resident Superior Court Judge	Rowan	Superior Court 19C
Julia S. Gullett	Superior Court Judge	Alexander	Superior Court 22A
Lori Irvin Hamilton	Superior Court Judge	Davidson	Superior Court 22B
Karen Eady-Williams	Superior Court Judge	Mecklenburg	Superior Court 26
Lisa C. Bell	Superior Court Judge	Mecklenburg	Superior Court 26
Carla Nolita Archie	Superior Court Judge	Mecklenburg	Superior Court 26
Athena F. Brooks	Special Judge	Henderson	Superior Court  Special Judge
Tanya T. Wallace	Emergency Judge	Wake	Superior Court Emergency Judges
Yvonne M. Evans	Emergency Judge	Wake	Superior Court Emergency Judges
Sharon Tracey Barrett	Emergency Judge	Wake	Superior Court Emergency Judges
Eula Etheridge Reid	District Court Judge	Pasquotank	District Court 1
Amber Davis Malarney	District Court Judge	Pasquotank	District Court 1
Regina Rodgers Parker	Chief District Court Judge	Beaufort	District Court 2
Sarah C. Seaton	Chief District Court Judge	Onslow	District Court 4
Carol Ann Jones	District Court Judge	Duplin	District Court 4
Robin Wicks Robinson	District Court Judge	New Hanover	District Court 5
Sandra Alice Ray	District Court Judge	New Hanover	District Court 5
Lindsey Leigh McKee	District Court Judge	New Hanover	District Court 5
Melinda H. Crouch	District Court Judge	New Hanover	District Court 5
Brenda Green Branch	Chief District Court Judge	Halifax	District Court 6
Teresa R. Freeman	District Court Judge	Halifax	District Court 6
Vershenia B. Moody	District Court Judge	Northampton	District Court 6
Elizabeth Freshwater-Smith	District Court Judge	Nash	District Court 7
Elizabeth Anne Heath	Chief District Court Judge	Lenoir	District Court 8
Annette Webb Turik	District Court Judge	Wayne	District Court 8
Ericka Y. James	District Court Judge	Wayne	District Court 8
Amanda E. Stevenson	District Court Judge	Franklin	District Court 9
Sarah Katherine Kelly Burnette	District Court Judge	Granville	District Court 9
Caroline Slater Burnette	District Court Judge	Vance	District Court 9
Debra Ann Smith Sasser	District Court Judge	Wake	District Court 10
Lori Grundy Christian	District Court Judge	Wake	District Court 10
Christine Marie Walczyk	District Court Judge	Wake	District Court 10
Anna E. Worley	District Court Judge	Wake	District Court 10
Mahsaman Samaneh Hamadani	District Court Judge	Wake	District Court 10
Monica Marie Bousman	District Court Judge	Wake	District Court 10
Ashleigh Parker Dunston	District Court Judge	Wake	District Court 10
Margaret P. Eagles	District Court Judge	Wake	District Court 10
Jacquelyn L. Lee	Chief District Court Judge	Lee	District Court 11
Joy Anita Jones	District Court Judge	Harnett	District Court 11
Addie M Harris Rawls	District Court Judge	Johnston	District Court 11
Mary J. Howard Wells	District Court Judge	Johnston	District Court 11
Caron H. Stewart	District Court Judge	Johnston	District Court 11
Toni S. King	District Court Judge	Cumberland	District Court 12
Cheri L. Siler-Mack	District Court Judge	Cumberland	District Court 12
Frances Monet McDuffie	District Court Judge	Cumberland	District Court 12
April M. Smith	District Court Judge	Cumberland	District Court 12
Caitlin Young Evans	District Court Judge	Cumberland	District Court 12
Tiffany M. Whitfield	District Court Judge	Cumberland	District Court 12
Pauline Hankins	District Court Judge	Brunswick	District Court 13
Carolyn Ashley Gore	District Court Judge	Bladen	District Court 13
Patricia Dyanne Evans	Chief District Court Judge	Durham	District Court 14
Amanda L. Maris	District Court Judge	Durham	District Court 14
Doretta L. Walker	District Court Judge	Durham	District Court 14
Shamieka L. Rhinehart	District Court Judge	Durham	District Court 14
Kathryn Whitaker Overby	District Court Judge	Alamance	District Court 15A
Samantha Hyatt Cabe	Chief District Court Judge	Orange	District Court 15B
Sherrill Toler Murrell	District Court Judge	Orange	District Court 15B
Beverly A. Scarlett	District Court Judge	Orange	District Court 15B
Amanda Lynn Wilson	Chief District Court Judge	Richmond	District Court 16A
Sophia Marie Gatewood Crawford	District Court Judge	Anson	District Court 16A
Chevonne R. Wallace	District Court Judge	Richmond	District Court 16A
Judith M. Daniels	Chief District Court Judge	Robeson	District Court 16B
Angelica Chavis McIntyre	District Court Judge	Robeson	District Court 16B
Brooke Locklear Clark	District Court Judge	Robeson	District Court 16B
Vanessa E. Burton	District Court Judge	Robeson	District Court 16B
Christine Fields Strader	District Court Judge	Rockingham	District Court 17A
Erica Standfield Brandon	District Court Judge	Person	District Court 17A
Marion McNeil Boone	District Court Judge	Surry	District Court 17B
Teresa H. Vincent	Chief District Court Judge	Guilford	District Court 18
Susan R. Burch	District Court Judge	Guilford	District Court 18
Angela Cheryl Foster	District Court Judge	Guilford	District Court 18
Tonia Armanda Cutchin	District Court Judge	Guilford	District Court 18
Angela M. Bullard	District Court Judge	Guilford	District Court 18
Tabatha Phillips Holliday	District Court Judge	Guilford	District Court 18
Kimberly M. Fletcher	District Court Judge	Guilford	District Court 18
Christy Elizabeth Wilhelm	Chief District Court Judge	Cabarrus	District Court 19A
Juanita Boger-Allen	District Court Judge	Cabarrus	District Court 19A
Jennifer Brooke Schmidly	District Court Judge	Randolph	District Court 19B
Sarah Neely Lanier	District Court Judge	Randolph	District Court 19B
Beth Spencer Dixon	District Court Judge	Rowan	District Court 19C
Regina M. Joe	District Court Judge	Hoke	District Court 19D
Tiffany M. Bartholomew	District Court Judge	Hoke	District Court 19D
Erin Suzanne Hucks	District Court Judge	Union	District Court 20B
Lisa V. Menefee	Chief District Court Judge	Forsyth	District Court 21
Denise S. Hartsfield	District Court Judge	Forsyth	District Court 21
Laurie Louise Hutchins	District Court Judge	Forsyth	District Court 21
Carrie Freeman Vickery	District Court Judge	Forsyth	District Court 21
Victoria L. Roemer	District Court Judge	Forsyth	District Court 21
Camille Banks Prince	District Court Judge	Forsyth	District Court 21
Carole Anne Hicks	District Court Judge	Iredell	District Court 22A
Christine Underwood	District Court Judge	Iredell	District Court 22A
Deborah P Brown	District Court Judge	Iredell	District Court 22A
Mary Fowler Covington	District Court Judge	Davidson	District Court 22B
April Carthena Wood Berg	District Court Judge	Davie	District Court 22B
Jeanie R. Houston	District Court Judge	Wilkes	District Court 23
Rebecca Elizabeth Eggers-Gryder	District Court Judge	Yancey	District Court 24
Sherri W. Elliott	District Court Judge	Catawba	District Court 25
Amy Sigmon Walker	District Court Judge	Catawba	District Court 25
Tyyawdi M. Hands	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Elizabeth T. Trosch	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Rickye Mckoy-Mitchell	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Jena P. Culler	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Christy T. Mann	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Aretha V. Blake	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Karen Denise McCallum	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Paige B. McThenia	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Paulina Nowah Havelka	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Kimberly Yvette Best	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Faith Alexandra Fickling-Alvarez	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Tracy H. Hewett	District Court Judge	Mecklenburg	District Court 26
Angela G. Hoyle	District Court Judge	Gaston	District Court 27A
Pennie Miller Thrower	District Court Judge	Gaston	District Court 27A
Jeannette Racquel Reeves	District Court Judge	Cleveland	District Court 27B
Meredith A. Shuford	District Court Judge	Lincoln	District Court 27B
Susan Marie Dotson-Smith	District Court Judge	Buncombe	District Court 28
Patricia Kaufmann Young	District Court Judge	Buncombe	District Court 28
Andrea F. Dray	District Court Judge	Buncombe	District Court 28
Julie M. Kepple	District Court Judge	Buncombe	District Court 28
Ellen McDaniel Shelley	District Court Judge	Rutherford	District Court 29A
Emily Greene Cowan	District Court Judge	Henderson	District Court 29B
Kimberly G. Justice	District Court Judge	Henderson	District Court 29B
Monica H. Leslie	District Court Judge	Haywood	District Court 30
Kristina Lynn Earwood	District Court Judge	Haywood	District Court 30
Donna Fay Forga	District Court Judge	Cherokee	District Court 30
Tessa Shelton Sellers	District Court Judge	Clay	District Court 30
Wendy Smallwood Hazelton	District Court Judge	Pitt	District Court 3A
Karen A. Alexander	District Court Judge	Craven	District Court 3B
Sarah Patterson Bailey	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Linda L. Falls	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Sherry F. Alloway	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Patricia G. Hilburn	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Jane V. Harper	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Jacqueline L. Brewer	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Anna Elizabeth Keever	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Margaret L. Sharpe	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Nancy E. Gordon	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Joyce A. Hamilton	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Shelly S. Holt	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Shelley H. Desvousges	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge
Rebecca W. Blackmore	Emergency Judge	Robeson	District Court Emergency Judge
Nancy Crocker Phillips	Emergency Judge	Columbus	District Court Emergency Judge
Anne B. Salisbury	Emergency Judge	Wake	District Court Emergency Judge

Learn more about the women who have served on the Supreme Court of North Carolina and the North Carolina Court of Appeals by visiting the North Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society online.