Each Halloween season, All Things Judicial releases a special episode called "Fright Court," where the focus turns to ghostly legends associated with North Carolina's courthouses. The second oldest courthouse in the state, built in 1786, is located in Beaufort County, in the City of Washington. Allegedly, this courthouse is haunted by the ghost of a defendant named Reverend George Washington Carawan, who was tried for murder in 1853. We interviewed Terry Rollins, Youth Services Librarian at the Brown Library in Washington, to get the full story about this remarkable case. 

"(After the trial) people started reporting something very strange occurring in this building," said Rollins on the podcast. "Those stories have persisted decade after decade, and year after year, since 1853."

The second segment of the podcast involves former Supreme Court of North Carolina Associate Justice George Brown, and his wife Laura Ellison Brown. The justice and his wife were local benefactors in the City of Washington, who after their deaths, bequeathed their estate to establish a public library. The Brown Library found a permanent place on the justice’s old homesite, but some report that the Browns continue to visit the library almost 100 years after their deaths. 

The reports of hauntings in North Carolina's courthouses are unverified. However, witness claim that they are true. Are some of North Carolina's courthouses haunted? Listen to the podcast and you be the judge.

See a video rendition of the podcast called Fright Court - Old Beaufort County Courthouse.

Each year, the North Carolina Judicial Branch recognizes Conflict Resolution Day which falls on October 20, 2022. In this episode, we honor this special day with two segments featuring the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. In the first segment, the Commission’s Executive Director Tara Kozlowski interviews the Commission’s Vice-Chairman, North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson, about the structure and role of the Commission. In the second segment, Administrative Assistant Maureen Robinson joins Kozlowski to share a few of the more memorable stories, and lessons learned, from mediations over their careers in North Carolina’s courts. 

"If we just look at the number of court cases that are filed every year, over two million, if you had to try every case you would never get to all of them," said Tyson on the podcast. "If there is another mechanism where parties can come to an agreement voluntarily and take the case out of the court system, that is good."

The North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission was established in October 1995 and is charged primarily with certifying and regulating private mediators who serve North Carolina courts. To find out more about the Commission, visit NCcourts.gov.

This episode of All Things Judicial  features a 2015 interview with former Superior Court Judge Shirley L. Fulton. Judge Fulton made history for being the first African American woman to serve as a prosecutor in Mecklenburg County, and the first African American woman to serve as a North Carolina superior court judge. Her distinguished service on the Mecklenburg County bench lasted for over 20 years. The interview was conducted by Dr. Mary Howerton, professor at Queens University of Charlotte. 

"As lawyers, we are the single most important route to equality and equity," said Fulton on the podcast. "I am so proud to be a lawyer and serve this state to make the justice system the best that it can be and to keep our profession a high calling in the spirit of public service."

This interview is part of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism's historical video series. A video of this interview can be viewed on the Judicial Branch YouTube Channel. 

Each year, the North Carolina Judicial Branch recognizes September 17 as Constitution Day. In this episode, the Branch honors this special day by listening to excerpts from a lecture by two authors who wrote the book on the North Carolina Constitution, Chief Justice Paul Newby and University of North Carolina Professor John Orth. Published in 2013, Newby and Orth co-authored the book entitled, "The North Carolina State Constitution," which provides an outstanding constitutional and historical account of the state's governing charter.

"Both of these documents (United States Constitution and North Carolina State Constitution) begin with 'we the people,'" said Newby on the podcast. "These are our documents and fortunately the 1868 Constitution which has given so much power to 'we the people' has endured and it is our job to safeguard it."

This lecture was originally recorded in the Senate chamber of the North Carolina State Capitol in 2018 as part of a reenactment of the 1868 Constitutional Convention. A video of the reenactment can be found on the NCcourts Facebook page.

This episode of the All Things Judicial podcast features an interview with former Campbell University President Norman Adrian Wiggins. Dr. Wiggins earned his law degree from Wake Forest College School of Law, and a Masters of Law and Doctor in the Science of Law from Columbia Law School. From 1967 until 2003, Dr. Wiggins served as President of Campbell University. In 1976, Wiggins founded the law school at Campbell University named in his honor, the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. Dr. Wiggins was interviewed by Mel Wright, the Executive Director of the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism (CJCP).

"Academic excellence is mandatory throughout all of education, but if we don't take care of the professionalism responsibilities we will not be good lawyers and the profession will not be in good shape," said Wiggins on the podcast. 

This interview is part of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism's historical video series. A video of this interview can be viewed on the Judicial Branch YouTube Channel.

This episode of All Things Judicial  focuses on North Carolina's School Justice Partnerships (SPJs), which are programs designed to keep kids in school and out of court. In the first segment of the podcast, we hear testimonials from judges, school superintendents, a county sheriff, and a district attorney who have partnered to form an SJP in their respective counties. Next, DeShield Greene, court management specialist in the Programs Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts, shares the broad perspective and scope of SJP implementation across North Carolina.

An SJP is groups of community stakeholders which typically include school administrators, law enforcement, judges, court system and juvenile justice personnel, and others that develop and implement effective strategies to address student misconduct. SJPs work to reduce the number of suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to the justice system by timely and constructively addressing student misconduct when and where it happens, helping students succeed in school and preventing negative outcomes for both youth and their communities.

You can learn more about SJPs and their track record of success by viewing the SJP Fact Sheet on NCcourts.gov.

This episode of All Things Judicial features an interview with former Supreme Court of North Carolina Chief Justice James G. Exum, Jr. Exum earned his law degree from New York University School of Law, served as a superior court judge from 1967–1974, served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina from 1975–1986, and served as the chief justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina from 1986–1995.

In this 2006 interview conducted by former superior court judge and former director of the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Tom Ross, Exum reflects on his early life in Eastern North Carolina, career in the state judicial system, and the importance of the judiciary in maintaining a functioning democracy.    

"The legal profession and our judicial system are the only place where serious disputes can be resolved according to rationality and mutual principles of law," said Exum on the podcast. "As lawyers, we are all part of the same profession and we have a duty to treat each other as professionals … and we can disagree without being disagreeable."

This interview is part of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism's historical video series. A video of this interview can be viewed on the Judicial Branch YouTube Channel.

This episode of All Things Judicial podcast focuses on the Chief Justice's Taskforce on ACEs-Informed Courts and the strategic partnership with Proverbs 226, a faith-based non-profit focused on reconciling incarcerated fathers with their families. Guests on this episode are District Attorney Ben David who serves New Hanover and Pender counties, and Cyril Prabhu, president and founder of Proverbs 226.

"Having fathers involved in the lives of their kids is a great thing," said David on the podcast. "If they are incarcerated, we need to keep that bond between children and their fathers ... that's good for the kids, it's good for the dads, and it's good for society at large when we talk about reducing the rates of recidivism."

The term "ACEs" refers to "adverse childhood experiences" and "adverse community environments." The Task Force's mission is to understand the impact of ACEs on children and develop strategies for addressing adverse childhood experiences within our court system.

This episode of the All Things Judicial podcast features an interview with former United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Judge Allyson Duncan. Duncan earned her law degree from Duke University School of Law, worked as as associate professor at North Carolina Central University School of Law, and served as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals before being appointed to the federal bench.

In this 2018 interview conducted by former North Carolina Bar Association President Catharine Arrowood, Duncan reflects on her family, legal service, and professionalism in the North Carolina legal system.   

"Professionalism means aspiring to the highest aspirations of the profession," said Duncan on the podcast. "To work as hard as we can for the good of our clients. To attempt to elevate the standards of our profession and to treat everyone with whom we come into contact with dignity and respect."

This interview is part of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism's historical video series. A video of this interview can be viewed on the Judicial Branch YouTube Channel.

This episode of the All Things Judicial focuses on North Carolina's magistrates with guests Magistrate Christopher Bazzle (Mecklenburg), Magistrate Jacqueline Foster (Guilford), and Magistrate Katrina Watson (Mecklenburg). They discuss the role of magistrates in the Judicial Branch and highlight the specific duties magistrates perform in their counties. 

"I believe that the magistrate's role is vital to people's access to justice," said Bazzle on the podcast. "The ability to see and hear everyone in our community for the individuals that they are and give them their chance to be heard, both in criminal and civil court without the necessity of hiring an attorney, gives them a way to resolve issues in a more peaceful manner and that is very important in maintaining a just and balanced society for everybody."

Magistrates are judicial officers, recognized by the North Carolina constitution to perform numerous duties in both civil and criminal proceedings. They are often a person's first contact with the Judicial Branch and make decisions in criminal proceedings that include conducting initial appearances, setting conditions of release, and issuing warrants. Magistrates' civil proceedings include hearing small claims cases, entering orders for summary ejectment (evictions), and determining involuntary commitments. Magistrates are the only civil officials in the state who can perform marriages. 

To learn more about North Carolina magistrates, please visit the Court Officials page on NCcourts.gov.