A hostile takeover of our state’s judiciary
News of takeovers is all over the place. There’s ol’ Vlad in The Ukraine and Elon Musk and Twitter, among others. It’s beginning to look like the special interests are revving up their efforts to complete their takeover of North Carolina’s political system. They’ve bought off our legislators and congressional representatives. Various “associations” out of the DC area are picking and funding our candidates *for us.* Our job has been reduced to marking the boxes the lobbying groups and PACs tell us to mark, and then shutting up and going away for at least two years.
The biggest piece of the puzzle left to be bought off in North Carolina is the judiciary. But the special interest boys and girls are really getting around to that this year. A lot of court cases dealing with solar and other special interest projects have been heard and ruled upon in North Carolina over recent years. The establishment elites and the special interests want to be sure that branch of government is fully-controlled by likeminded folks who will do all they can to keep the cash flowing.
The establishment’s first major self-protection move was to create slates of candidates and present them to us as “the party’s champions.” Never mind if some attorney or judge Down East wanted to run for one of the high court jobs. The elites had spoken. Our job was to shut up and digest it. In 2018, Anita Earls (D) defeated incumbent Barbara Jackson (R) in one of the big Supreme Court races. Earls was likely more favorable toward solar energy and judicial control of public education than Jackson was. So — to keep the gravy train moving — Jackson was sabotaged at every turn. She was denied funding and significant campaign help from NCGOP HQ, despite being a GOP incumbent. Jackson was not a definite vote in favor of things like solar and increased judicial control, so she had to go. (She was messing with the pipeline of cash between lobbyist hands and politician pockets. *That just would not do.*)
Fast forward to 2022. Judge April Wood (R) and someone named Trey Allen (R) are slugging it out to challenge an incumbent Dem on the Supreme Court in November. Wood is a veteran of the state Court of Appeals, and quite a conservative jurist. Allen has never been a judge. He’s worked at the UNC School of Government and, most importantly, for Chief Justice Paul Newby. Wood tried to run for the court in 2020, but was shot down — before the first vote was cast — by the Raleigh establishment in favor of Tamara Barringer, fresh off a reelection defeat and a six year term as the most liberal Republican in the state Senate. Wood was told to wait until 2022. So, she did.
Here we are in 2022, and the Raleigh elites are dragging young Mr. Allen around, touting him as the next Oliver Wendell Holmes. Legislators and congressmen are coming out of the woodwork praising and endorsing the inexperienced and mostly unknown Allen. We’ve received reports that even Justice Newby has been making the rounds of the state’s political circuit, questioning Wood’s intellect. (One has to wonder what that Bible he frequently thumps says about that.) Newby’s reported campaign trail travails have some people wondering if he’s pushing, or even over-stepping, the boundaries on judicial involvement in campaigns.
April Wood will ask a lot of probing questions about these cash-siphoning shenanigans by the Raleigh elites. Allen will do what Paul Newby — already fully under the spell of Paul Shumaker — tells him to do.
One of the biggest arguments against Wood the the elites are using is that Roy Cooper will appoint her replacement on the Court of Appeals. First, the appointment would only be for two years. Second, the new Democrat would not affect the court’s partisan split — currently favoring the Republicans.
Judge Wood — as a justice — would bring the fresh fragrance of conservative jurisprudence to the high court.
The stench of Paul Shumaker in Allen’s campaign should be enough for conservatives to rally behind April Wood. Not only is Shumaker the consultant to the RINOs, including Burr, Tillis, and McCrory, but he is a highly paid operative of the solar goons / wind goons.
Supreme Courts in Ireland, Norway, and most recently Australia have handed down major rulings against Big Wind, so these scoundrels are trying to preemptively buy support on our NC Supreme Court.
And right on cue, Tillis joining Durban to sponsor amnesty legislation. We gave him 6Y to screw us more than the initial 6Y.
I will be very selective in 2022 and 2024. Just b/c there is a r behind a name, doesn’t mean I’m pulling that lever.
Been playing this game for 30Y and disappointed each and every time. Doc Murphy another one on that long list of disappointments. NOT pulling the lever again.
Just amazing McR has much support at all following the disastrous administration.
The crowd around the UNC court clerk is reason enough that vote for Judge Wood. I don’t particularly trust our judicial system, but Judge Wood does a good job so let’s elevate her. She waited her turn. I’m tired of these coronations by the NC GOP.
At the state and national levels. They ‘pick’ and we good soldiers are given our marching orders.
Again, b/c there is a r behind someone’s name this yr and 2024, doesn’t mean I”m pulling a lever.
R’s been pulling that crap since Reagan & Jesse left the stage. Started with Reagan ‘having to select’ Bush, BIG mistake.
We’ve been given our marching orders again. When we do not readily comply, we are subjected to the drone of constant TV ads reminding us of the error of our ways. The less knowledgeable among us should be on alert because of the presence of Shumaker in the Allen camp if nothing else.
Judge Wood’s good record speaks for itself. Now, I’ll be working even harder for her election.
I’m in agreement with many others. The NCGOPe will get no reward from me for their chicanery. That goes for this race and a lot of other primary races, too.
It seems all the candidates are corrupt from one source or another. So now I guess we have no one to vote for. Y’all sure gas light like the rest of the media. ???
I haven’t made a decision who to vote for in this election, and I think it’s likely I may wait until closer to Election Day to vote this primary.
While I want logically minded and fair judges and justices, I don’t think that a partisan judiciary where all the justices of a same party vote in lockstep is a good thing (I don’t think that’s good in the legislative branch either or within an executive cabinet).
Having the conflict between Judge Wood and Chief Justice Newby on the Court may be a good thing for litigants on whatever side and our political party. This is not a slight against Mr. Allen.
The flip side is the other side does not see justice as idealistically as we do. They are willing to invent law or ignore the state and federal constitution to get what they want. Judicially decreeing that a constitutional amendment is invalid just because you don’t like it should be an impeachable offense.
In the backdrop of downright judicial insurrection on behalf of NC Democrats, I understand and sympathize with people worried about the partisan balance of the NC Court of Appeals if Judge Wood wins and thus wanting to pull the lever for Mr. Allen. This is not a slight against Judge Wood.
I don’t think pre primary judicial slates – especially one suspected to be selected by a judge or justice in current service – are good things for justice. On the flip side, when you sign up for a job that is for a period of time, quitting less than one fourth of the way does not look good on a resume.
The seat on the Supreme Court is far more critical than the one on the Court of Appeals. We have an out of control leftwing bunch controlling the Supreme Court who like to legislate from the bench, and that needs to be brought to a halt. One key question is who can best win that Supreme Court seat? Giving up a Court of Appeals seat is small potatoes compared to winning that Supreme Court seat.
Judge Wood will be a much stronger candidate against the Democrat than Allen, and that is a key factor why she should be the one nominated. Her judicial background will give her a lot more credibility as a candidate, which makes her more electable in November. Women Republicans also generally run stronger in general elections for appellate judgeships than males, which is another factor giving Wood more electability. And then there is the consultant factor. Allen is using Paul Shumaker, whose losses on incumbent GOP Supreme Court seats is what has given the Democrats the majority. Wood, on the other hand, is using Doug Raymond, who has quarterbacked Congressman Walter Jones through some very tough races and orchestrated an improbable come-from-behind victory for Greg Murphy to succeed him.. The odds of Raymond organizing a winning general election campaign are far higher than Shumaker doing so. Wood is, hands down, the most electable of the two candidates in November. and that is a huge factor in who we should nominate.