Having served since 2016, his election was distinctive, marking one of the last nonpartisan judicial elections in the state.
Though party affiliations were notably absent on the ballot, he managed to defeat the seated Republican, Justice Robert H. Edmunds Jr.
But political tides have turned since Morgan’s entry. Once a Democratic stronghold, the court saw its majority slip away in a Republican judicial sweep.
From a 4-3 Democratic lead, the balance shifted to a 5-2 Republican majority this past January.
Michael Morgan Stepping Down: The Vocal Duo
In the midst of this conservative landscape, Justice Morgan and his colleague, Justice Anita Earls, emerged as vocal critics.
Their ardent dissents were especially palpable when the majority voted to uphold the state’s voter ID law earlier this year.
Justice Morgan didn’t mince words, accusing his conservative peers of turning a blind eye to North Carolina’s dark past marked by racial prejudice and voter suppression.
From Duke to the Supreme Court
Morgan’s storied career began with his graduation from Duke University, followed by a law degree from North Carolina Central University.
