Special Election for District Court Judicial Nominees

DISTRICT COURT JUDICIAL VACANCY

Notice: Pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-142 and the Bylaws of the 24^th and 24H Judicial District Bars, notice hereby is given that a SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE 24^th and 24-H JUDICIAL DISTRICT BARS will be held on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at the Old Guilford County Courthouse at 301 West Market Street in Greensboro, NC for the purpose of selecting nominees to submit to Governor Joshua H. Stein to fill the District Court judicial vacancy occasioned by the retirement of the Honorable K. Michelle Fletcher on January 31, 2026. Member check-in and ballot distribution will begin at 3:00 p.m.

Candidates:  Any member of the 24^th Judicial District Bar or the 24H Judicial District Bar who wishes to be a candidate for the judicial seat and who is a resident in either district must notify us of his or her intention in writing, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026, five (5) days in advance of the meeting.  The notification shall state that he or she is duly authorized to practice law in the 24th and 24H Judicial District Bars, and that his or her residence address is located within either district.  Notification must be delivered or mailed to at least one of the following: John F. Nieman, PO Box 235, Julian, NC 27283 or e-mailed to Jfnieman32@gmail.com, or delivered or mailed to Judge Bill Davis, PO Box 3008, Greensboro, NC 27402, or  e-mailed to William.B.Davis@nccourts.org. If you send notice by e-mail, please request confirmation that the e-mail has been received.

Each candidate is requested to submit a brief resume and a statement as to the candidate’s qualifications, contained in one (1) .pdf file, for the judicial seat.  Such information will be posted on the Greensboro Bar Association’s website, www.greensborobar.org, and the High Point Bar Association’s website, www.highpointbarassociation.com, prior to the special meeting to assist members of the 24^th and 24H Judicial District Bars in evaluating the candidates.  Submission of the resume and statement are helpful, but not mandatory.

Speeches by Candidates:  Beginning at approximately 3:30 p.m., each candidate will be allowed three minutes, shared between themself and any nominator or endorser, to address the members present. To accommodate our members’ varying schedules, voting will be allowed before, during, and after the speeches.  We encourage you, however, to listen to the presentations of the candidates prior to voting.

Voting:  Voting shall be limited to those attorneys licensed to practice in North Carolina who are in attendance at the joint special meeting and are residents and members in good standing of either the 24th Judicial District Bar or the 24H Judicial District Bar.  An attorney is not authorized to vote if he or she practices in, but does not reside in, either district, although such individuals are still encouraged to attend the joint special meeting.1  Proxy voting is prohibited.

Each voting member of the 24^th and 24H Judicial District Bars shall be entitled to vote for up to five candidates for the judicial seat by secret, written ballot.  Ballots containing votes for more than five candidates will be disqualified, and cumulative voting is prohibited.2  Voting will close and counting of ballots will begin ten minutes after the conclusion of the candidates’ speeches. The five candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast will be the nominees to fill the District Court judicial vacancy.  In the event of a tie for fifth place, the names of the candidates involved in the tie shall be transmitted to Governor Stein, together with the names of the four other candidates receiving the highest number of votes.

Results of the Election:  The results of the election will be announced at the joint special meeting.  Following the meeting, we will transmit to Governor Stein the names of the five candidates (six if there is a tie for 5^th place) receiving the most votes, along with the number of votes for each.  The 24th Judicial District Bar and the 24H Judicial District Bar will be notified by e-mail of the results of the election, and the results will also be listed on the Greensboro Bar Association’s web site, www.greensborobar.org.

Please attend and vote at this important joint special election meeting.

Thank you.

Judge Bill Davis President, 24th Judicial District Bar PO Box 3008 Greensboro, NC 27402 William.B.Davis@nccourts.org

John F. Nieman President, 24H Judicial District Bar PO Box 235 Julian, NC 27283 Jfnieman32@gmail.com

Potential candidates seeking appointment to fill the District Court Judge seat upon Judge Fletcher’s retirement please take note of this additional information.  In addition to our Judicial District 24 and District 24H bar vote process (previously announced), candidates need to be aware that this seat will be on the ballot for election in November 2026, pursuant to NC Gen. Stat. 7A-142.  The Governor’s appointment will serve through December 31, 2026 and then the winner of the November election will serve the remainder of Judge Fletcher’s term (through 2028).  Please review the relevant statutes for full details.

Because the filing period has closed, the party nominees for the November election will be chosen by the executive committee for each of the political parties.  The party executive committees must select their nominees within seven calendar days of the vacancy occurring.  Judge Fletcher’s final day in office will be January 31, so the party executive committees will need to submit their nominations by February 7.

Candidates should contact party officials of their particular political affiliation ASAP for more details about their party’s executive committee nomination process.  Candidates who are not affiliated with a political party should consult NC Gen. Stat. secs. 7A-142(d)(2)b. and 163-122.

 

1. A current membership roster will be obtained from the North Carolina State Bar prior to the joint special meeting. If you recently transferred into either the 24th Judicial District or the 24-H Judicial District, please contact the North Carolina State Bar to make sure your information is current.

2. Cumulative voting consists of a member casting more than one vote for a single candidate.