This episode of All Things Judicial features Alternative Dispute Resolution, highlights the work of the Dispute Resolution Commission, and focuses on the Administrative Office of the Court's promotion of mediation and arbitration in North Carolina. The episode was released today in celebration of Conflict Resolution Day on October 21, and Dispute Resolution Week which is recognized by the American Bar Association as the third week in October. Guests include Judge Phyllis Gorham, Tara Kozlowski, and Maureen Robinson with an introduction given by Chief Justice Paul Newby. 

"Our state constitution guarantees the courts shall be open and justice is to be administered without favor, denial, or delay. Our alternative resolution groups allow us to make these constitutional promises a reality," Chief Justice Newby said on the podcast. "North Carolina has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing programs which promote dispute resolution in our courts."

This episode of All Things Judicial features the final part of a three-part series on the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission (NCIIC). This episode is hosted by Executive Director Lindsey Guice Smith and focuses on the roles and experiences of the Commission's staff. In one riveting segment, staff members give firsthand accounts of their participation in investigations that uncovered post-conviction evidence that led to the exoneration of incarcerated individuals. This episode's guests are Catherine Matoan, Beth Tanner, and Brian Ziegler. 

"A large percentage of Commission cases that have resulted in exonerations came after we located evidence that someone else said had been destroyed," Lindsey Guice Smith said on the podcast. "It's really important that we do those searches, ask those questions, and do those follow-ups." 

In this episode of All Things Judicial, we celebrate Constitution Day (September 17) with a visit to the North Carolina State Archives and a viewing of some of North Carolina's most precious historic documents. Division of Archives and Records Director Sarah Koonts led the tour where she shared original colonial court records. Koonts then opened the vault for the inspection of some of North Carolina's national treasures including an original copy of the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. Later in the episode, Chief Justice Newby details an account of the theft of this copy of the Bill of Rights from the North Carolina State Capitol during the American Civil War, and his participation in an FBI sting operation that recovered it in 2003. 

This episode of All Things Judicial  features excerpts from an interview with former Chief Justice Rhoda Billings. The interview was conducted in 2016 by former president of the North Carolina Bar Association, John R. “Buddy” Wester, as part of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism's Historical Video Series. During her career, Chief Justice Billings served as a district court judge, associate justice, and the 22nd chief justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. She was the second woman associate justice and second woman to serve as chief justice. In addition, she is the only person to have served as president of the North Carolina Bar Association and chief justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina.  

"A justice is not supposed to, and should never, pre-judge issues," former Chief Justice Billings said on the podcast. "Those are things to be determined after legal arguments, study, and discussion and collaboration with the other members of the court."  

This episode of All Things Judicial features part two of a three-part series on the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. Part two is hosted by Associate Director Beth Tanner and focuses on the Commission's victim services. This episode's guests are Robin Colbert, Katie Monroe, and Emma Paul. Part three of this series will be released in September and will focus on the work and roles of the Commission staff. 

"We have really worked hard on making sure we are focusing on the victim's experiences and making sure they have a space to be heard and are informed about the process when they should be," Beth Tanner said on the podcast. 

Many of North Carolina's students will be returning to their studies this month and this episode of All Things Judicial focuses on civics education in North Carolina. The episode begins with interviews with social studies teachers about their experiences with teaching students about our systems of government. Later in the episode, you will hear from Chief Justice Paul Newby and Associate Justice Samuel Ervin IV who led the Supreme Court of North Carolina's civics education outreach in 2019. Listeners will also learn about the Judicial Branch's free civics education materials and Speakers Bureau that are available to educators and others who are interested in making civics education more accessible in North Carolina.

"I hope to inspire students to dig deeper to see that the American experiment is payed forward one generation at a time," Chief Justice Newby said on the podcast. "It will be up to them to look at who we are as a people and make the determination how to shape us."

This episode features part one of a three-part series on the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. Part one is hosted by Lindsey Guice Smith, Executive Director of the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission, and the guests are commissioners Johnson Britt, Rick Glazier, and John Boswell. This episode examines the purpose of the Commission, gives an overview of its structure, and commissioners share why they volunteered for their roles and detail the most interesting cases of their tenures. Parts two and three will be released in August and September and will focus on the Commission's victim services program and the Commission staff.

"Despite our best efforts, mistakes are made. There has to be a system that can correct these mistakes because if there isn't, everybody loses," Commissioner Boswell said on the podcast. "I wish everyone understood the importance of the Commission and all the factors that come into play."

July is Juror Appreciation Month in North Carolina and the most recent episode of All Things Judicial focuses on jury service. The host and guests explore the history of jury service, what to expect when asked to serve on a jury, and dispel common myths about jury service. In the second segment of the episode, All Things Judicial conducts interviews with average North Carolinians about their thoughts on jury service.

"Jury service is a vital part of our country," Wake County Clerk of Superior Court Blair Williams said on the podcast. "Jurors play a part in our judicial system and that is what makes us unique in this world."

This episode of All Things Judicial focuses on ACEs-informed courts. ACEs refers to adverse childhood experiences of some children who appear in North Carolina courts. In May, the Judicial Branch formed the Chief Justice's Task Force on ACEs-Informed Courts to examine the impact of ACEs on children and develop strategies for addressing adverse childhood experiences within our court system. This episode's guests include NCAOC Director Judge Andrew Heath, District Attorney Ben David, Bolch Judicial Institute Assistant Director of Special Projects Amelia Thorn, and Court Management Specialist Lori Cole. 

 The most recent episode of All Things Judicial features excerpts from an interview with former Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake Jr. The interview was conducted in 2006 by former Associate Justice Willis Whichard as part of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism's Historical Video Series. Chief Justice Lake served as a superior court judge, associate justice, and chief justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. In 2002, Lake established the Criminal Justice Study Commission to review factors that may contribute to wrongful convictions in North Carolina. The study commission recommended reforms which led to the creation of the Innocence Inquiry Commission in 2006. 

"We have the best criminal justice system in the world, but that doesn't mean we can't make it better," former Chief Justice Lake said in the podcast. "It is incumbent on members of the legal profession to take that leadership role, step into that public service arena, accept that responsibility, and teach and guide and lead our people in the right direction pursuant to the blueprint laid out in our Constitution."