RALEIGH — The North Carolina Court of Appeals has a new chief judge this year after Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby appointed Judge Chris Dillon to replace current Chief Judge Donna Stroud.
Stroud told North State Journal in an interview that she had no prior indication she was going to be replaced and that Newby had given her the news last year on Dec. 19.
Like Newby, both Stroud and Dillon are Republicans. Stroud was the choice for chief judge on the appeals court in late 2020 by former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, a Democrat. Beasley, however, lost her bid to retain the seat to Newby, leaving the appointment in a brief limbo until Newby took over. Stroud officially assumed the role on Jan. 1, 2021, and was reinvested as chief judge on Jan. 9, 2023.
Stroud has served on the court since 2006. Her current eight-year term will expire in December 2031.
“He mentioned that some courts have rotating chief positions to spread out the administrative burden charges such as the federal courts,” Stroud said when asked if Newby had given a reason for the change. She later added that a few states do have rotating chief judge positions.
The chief justice of the state Supreme Court was given the authority to appoint chief judges, including for the Court of Appeals, when the high court was established in 1967. Traditionally, this leadership position has been bestowed upon the judge with the greatest seniority, which would be Stroud. Dillon is the second-most senior judge on the court behind Stroud.
Former Chief Justices Mark Martin and Cheri Beasley had both appointed numerous chief judges throughout the state’s court system during their tenures. Newby had also appointed several chief judges, including Margaret Eagles as chief district court judge for Wake County in December 2023 and Jimmy L. Myers as chief district court judge for Davie and Davidson Counties in February 2021.
Stroud, who led the court through most of the pandemic, told North State Journal she did not feel burdened when serving as chief judge.
“I have an excellent staff in my chambers,” Stroud said. “We have excellent staff from the clerk’s office here at the court. So, the chief judge certainly has assistance from those people.”
“We’re just continuing to do our work here and be as efficient as we can be and that’s what we will continue to do,” said Stroud.
Politics may have been at play, per Stroud’s response to North State Journal’s questions on whether the change may be related to the last election cycle in which she faced a primary challenger.
“You know, obviously none of us know what someone else is thinking but, you know, I went out and look at things that happen, and look at actions,” said Stroud. “I mean that they appear to be related as best I can tell.”
A number of prominent Republicans endorsed a challenge to Stroud in 2022.
Stroud was heavily involved in hiring of the court’s current clerk, Gene Soar, a Democrat.
During the interview, Stroud also mentioned her former primary opponent as having been appointed by the legislature as a special Superior Court Judge and that Newby had recently appointed her as alternate chair of the Innocence Inquiry Commission.
As part of Session Law 2023-139. effective Jan. 1, 2023, Beth Freshwater Smith was appointed a “Special Superior Court Judge” of the First Judicial Division for a term expiring on Dec. 31, 2031. She was the pick of Sen. Phil Berger (R-Eden) under that law and she had previously served as a District Court Judge in District 7 which covers Edgecombe, Nash and Wilson Counties. Smith was sworn in by Newby.
North State Journal reached out to Newby’s office for comment on the replacement and what the rotation policy would be going forward. The only response received said, “The Chief Justice’s chambers has declined to comment on this appointment.”
No formal press statement or rotation policy announcement has yet been posted to the website for the state’s courts.
