In a surprising turn of events, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls has withdrawn her high-stakes First Amendment lawsuit, coinciding with the judicial watchdog’s abandonment of the probe into her comments on the state bench’s composition.
NC Justice Drops Suit Over Diversity Comments Probe : Commission Halts Explosive Probe
The state’s judicial watchdog had been meticulously investigating Justice Earls based on remarks she made in a Law360 interview last year. In that interview, she passionately lamented the glaring lack of diversity in the state judiciary and the perceived unfair treatment of female advocates appearing before the Supreme Court. Justice Earls’ lawsuit had asserted that her freedom of speech was under threat, but a recent statement from her legal team disclosed that the agency had chosen to terminate its inquiry without recommending disciplinary measures.
NC Justice Drops Suit Over Diversity Comments Probe : Legal Drama Unravels
“I continue to believe that the First Amendment protects my ability to speak about matters of racial equity in the legal system,” Justice Earls emphasized in a statement announcing her decision. Despite maintaining her stance on the protection of free speech, she expressed satisfaction with the commission’s dismissal of the complaint against her. “I see no need to continue the litigation since the commission has dismissed the complaint against me, and at this time I no longer face being disciplined by the court.”
Legal Battle and Political Landscape
Justice Earls, one of the two Democratic justices on the seven-seat Supreme Court bench, filed her lawsuit on August 29. The legal action ensued after the commission announced its investigation into whether her comments breached the Code of Judicial Conduct, which mandates judges to act impartially without partisan interests. The inquiry sought to determine if she insinuated that her fellow justices were influenced by “racial, gender, and/or political bias in some of their decision-making.”
NC Justice Drops Suit Over Diversity Comments Probe : Uphill Legal Challenges
Facing accusations of overstepping and infringing on First Amendment rights, Justice Earls aimed to quell the probe through a preliminary injunction. However, U.S. District Judge William L. Osteen Jr. denied the request. Subsequent emergency motions for a preliminary injunction were similarly rejected, with the Fourth Circuit declining to intervene.
Gratitude Amidst Resolution
In her statement, Justice Earls expressed gratitude to individuals and organizations, both within North Carolina and nationally, who supported her during the legal ordeal. As a member of the elected seven-seat Supreme Court bench, this unexpected resolution may have a lasting impact on the judicial and political landscape.
