The North Carolina Court of Appeals handles cases appealed by lower state courts and deals only with whether the previous trials were conducted in line with the law. There are 15 judges who serve on the court of appeals with three open seats this November. Terms for these judges last eight years.

With lots of the attorney general's work dealing with legal matters, candidates must be lawyers. Previously held offices: North Carolina senator for District 37, assistant district attorney Profession: U.

The divided ruling was met by a dissent that said the majority “erodes the rule of law and contributes to a loss of faith in the impartiality of the state judiciary.’’