Three Judges Could Save -- or Destroy -- North Carolina's Democracy
The North Carolina Court of Appeals will hold a hearing Friday on whether to change the results of the 2024 state supreme court election. Democratic Justice Allison Riggs won by 734 votes—despite all of the Republicans’ dirty tricks. But her GOP challenger, Judge Jefferson Griffin, is refusing to concede. Griffin sits on the Court of Appeals, and he wants his colleagues to retroactively change election rules, throw out tens of thousands of votes in Democratic counties and declare him the winner.
If he prevails, it would deal a major blow to democracy in the Tar Heel State — and would signal to Republicans nationwide that using partisan justices to reverse election results is a viable strategy.
Griffin’s alarming litigation has bounced back and forth between trial and appellate courts, both state and federal. After a state court judge ruled against Griffin, he asked the Court of Appeals — where Republicans hold a 12-3 majority — to overturn that decision.
There’s a good chance that the appeals court gets the final say on Griffin’s anti-democratic power grab. The court’s decision can be appealed to the state Supreme Court. But even if the high court takes the case, the justices could split 3-3 and leave the Court of Appeals with the final word. The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could intervene, if it believes the state is violating federal law by retroactively changing election rules.
https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/three-judges-could-save-or-destroy-north-carolinas-democracy/