NC Justice Anita Earls says protests over contested race raised awareness about electing judges

The night before swearing in Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs, fellow Justice Anita Earls was in Greensboro to discuss the importance of judicial races. 

She spoke to a group of about 75 voting-rights activists Monday at St. Francis Episcopal Church & Day School. 

The reason Democrat Riggs wasn’t sworn in until Tuesday was because her opponent, Republican Jefferson Griffin, contested the election for six months. 

Many people, including some of the event’s attendees, had protested over Griffin’s refusal to concede. Earls says speaking out helped raise awareness about the importance of judicial races.

“Because judges make decisions all the time that impact people's daily lives, from how much they pay for their electricity to whether or not they'll get compensated if they're injured on the job,” she says. “Very basic things that determine your life chances are decided by our courts.”

Earls, a Democrat, says she’ll seek re-election when her seat comes up next year. She’ll face at least one challenger, Republican State Rep. Sarah Stevens of Surry County, who announced her campaign last month.