Cheri Beasley

Cheri L. Beasley (born February 14, 1966) is an American judge who served as the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 2019 to 2020. Beasley had previously served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and as a district court judge in Cumberland County, North Carolina.[2]

Cheri Beasley
Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
In office
March 1, 2019 – December 31, 2020
Appointed byRoy Cooper
Preceded byMark Martin
Succeeded byPaul Newby
Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
In office
2012–2019
Appointed byBev Perdue
Preceded byPatricia Timmons-Goodson
Succeeded byMark A. Davis
Personal details
Born
Cheri Lynn Beasley[1]

(1966-02-14) February 14, 1966
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Curtis Owens
Children2
EducationRutgers University, New
Brunswick (BA)
University of Tennessee,
Knoxville (JD)
Duke University (LLM)

Education and early career

Following her undergraduate education at Douglass College of Rutgers University, Beasley earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Beasley spent her first years following law school as an assistant public defender in Cumberland County, North Carolina.[2] She was first appointed to the bench as a state district court judge by Governor Jim Hunt in 1999, and then elected in a 2002 election. She was re-elected without opposition in 2006.[3] She served as a Judge in District 12 (Cumberland County) until her election to the Court of Appeals.

Appellate judicial experience

In 2008, Beasley was elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, defeating incumbent Douglas McCullough. In that election, Beasley became the first black woman to win election to statewide office in North Carolina without first being appointed by a governor.[4] In December 2012, after four years sitting on the Court of Appeals, Gov. Beverly Perdue appointed Beasley to the North Carolina Supreme Court, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson.[5] She was elected to a full eight-year term in 2014.[6]

On February 12, 2019, Governor Roy Cooper appointed Beasley to the position of Chief Justice following the retirement of Mark Martin, making her the first African-American woman ever to serve as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.[7] Her tenure was marked by managing the administrative challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

Beasley ran for a full term as chief justice in the 2020 election, but lost by an extremely close (412-vote)[9] margin to Associate Justice Paul Newby.[10] After leaving office, Beasley joined the McGuireWoods firm's appellate team.[11]

References
  1. https://connect.americanbar.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=def699f4-8de6-4e0c-a325-d1cccad9853d
  2. report, A. staff and wire. "Cheri Beasley, formerly of Fayetteville, to be chief justice of NC Supreme Court". The Fayetteville Observer.
  3. "NC Bar: 2006 results".
  4. Fayetteville Observer: Beasley sworn in to Court of Appeals bench
  5. News & Observer: Perdue chooses appeals court judge Beasley for Supreme Court
  6. "Voting machine problems do not change election outcome :". WRAL.com. November 25, 2014.
  7. "Cheri Beasley to become first African American woman Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. February 12, 2019.
  8. Editorial: N.C. Chief Justice Beasley leaves legacy to emulate
  9. "North Carolina Supreme Court elections, 2020". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  10. ABC11/WTVD
  11. Former Supreme Court of North Carolina Chief Justice Cheri Beasley Joins McGuireWoods
Legal offices
Preceded by
Patricia Timmons-Goodson		 Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
2012–2019		 Succeeded by
Mark A. Davis
Preceded by
Mark Martin		 Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
2019–2020		 Succeeded by
Paul Newby
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