GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2009

SESSION LAW 2009-341

SENATE BILL 56

AN ACT to amend the law providing balance among the counties in the residency of district court judges in district court district 13.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 7A‑133(b2) reads as rewritten:

"(b2)    The qualified voters of District Court District 13 shall elect all six judges established for the District in subsection (a) of this section, but only persons who reside in Bladen County may be candidates for one of those judgeships, only persons who reside in Columbus County may be candidates for one two of those judgeships, and only persons who reside in Brunswick County may be candidates for two three of those judgeships. The district court judgeship established for residents of Bladen County by this subsection shall be the judgeship currently held by Judge Phillips, who resides in Bladen County. The district court judgeship established for residents of Columbus County by this subsection shall be the judgeship currently held by Judge Jolly, who resides in Columbus County. The district court judgeships established for residents of Brunswick County by this subsection shall be the judgeships currently held by Judge Barefoot and Judge Warren, who reside in Brunswick County. Those judges' successors shall be elected for four‑year terms in the 2008 general election. Candidates for the remaining judgeships in District 13 may be residents of any county within the district. These district court judgeships shall be numbered and assigned for residency purposes as follows:

(1) Seat number one, established for residents of Brunswick County by this section, shall be the seat currently held by Judge Barefoot.

(2) Seat number two, established for residents of Brunswick County by this section, shall be the seat currently held by Judge Fairley.

(3) Seat number three, established for residents of Brunswick County by this section, shall be the seat currently held by Judge Warren.

(4) Seat number four, established for residents of Columbus County by this section, shall be the seat currently held by Judge Jolly.

(5) Seat number five, established for residents of Columbus County by this section, shall be the seat currently held by Judge Tyler.

(6) Seat number six, established for residents of Bladen County by this section, shall be the seat currently held by Judge Ussery."

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective on the date upon which Section 1 of this act is approved under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 14^th day of July, 2009.

                                                                    s/  Walter H. Dalton

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Joe Hackney

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Beverly E. Perdue

                                                                         Governor

Approved 3:15 p.m. this 24^th day of July, 2009