As a judge and someone who presumably understands and respects the law, now is the time for Jefferson Griffin to accept the results, concede the race and move on with his life.
“Jefferson Griffin and the GOP do not actually want to make this election safe and secure. They want to throw out enough ballots as it will take to declare a victory,” said Gabby Chiarenza, a Wake County voter whose ballot has been challenged.
In a desperate effort to salvage a losing campaign, Republican Jefferson Griffin has challenged the validity of more than 60,000 ballots, including two cast by his opponent’s parents.
North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby is no stranger to accusations of corruption. Once again, he is facing questions and criticisms for what appears to be unethical and legally dubious behavior.
The Republican-controlled state Supreme Court’s recent ruling calls into question whether the justices are doing the bidding of Republican legislative leaders, and have broken basic ethics.
Incumbent Democrat Justice Allison Riggs is a civil rights and voting rights attorney. She is facing off against a right-wing challenger, Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin. A Griffin win would mean a 6-1 conservative High Court in North Carolina.
Governor Roy Cooper has recently reduced the sentence of four north carolinians and pardoned four others. In a press release on the matter, Cooper disclosed that the pardons and commutations came after an intense review of each case.
Former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr announced this week his intention to appeal a three-judge panel’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that partisan gerrymandering results in unconstitutional elections. However, he plans to discuss the matter with the plaintiffs first.
One judge, without legal justification, arrested the parents of child sex assault victims for bringing them to court late. Another judge’s actions in court resulted in the fatal police shooting of a defendant – in the courtroom. Neither Republican judge was reprimanded despite the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission’s (JSC) recommendation.
As a host of anti-LGBTQ bills are introduced across the U.S., advocates, elected leaders and communities are centering discussions surrounding key issues throughout Pride Month.