RALEIGH -- Could the way North Carolina’s judges reach the bench change? Some state senators have brought up the possibility of a reform.

The Senate committee continued their discussion on how to reshape the state's judicial system Wednesday afternoon. The House has already passed their own plan, but this committee is working out a separate measure.

Many options for reform are on the table, including possibly redrawing districts, changing term limits, or switching to court appointed judges instead of elections.

The discussion has not been easy, especially when it comes to how the judicial system and politics can be intertwined.

“To suggest that there is no politics in it or that we're going to divorce it from politics is naïve,” said committee chair Sen. Dan Bishop. The more it seems you devote yourself to a notion like that, the more you are making it a subterfuge.”


“We need to make sure that the citizens of North Carolina know who our judges are and making sure that qualified judges are in a position to be elected, but elected by the people,” said Sen. Joel Ford.

The committee also heard from experts at the UNC School of Law and NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice about which direction to go with the state’s judicial system.