People’s Parity Project Statement on the N.C. Judicial Standards Commission Ending its Sham Investigation Against Justice Anita Earls
Raleigh, NC—Today, the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission ended its investigation into Justice Anita Earls, who faced allegations that she violated ethics rules by speaking out about bias and discrimination at the state supreme court. Earls had been facing the possibility of losing the seat to which she was elected. She’ll be on the ballot again in 2026.
Earls dismissed her First Amendment lawsuit against the Commission. She had been expected to appeal rulings by Republican-appointed judges that allowed the investigation to proceed.
Billy Corriher, PPP’s state courts manager and a North Carolina resident, issued the following statement:
“The Judicial Standards Commission finally did the right thing and dismissed this unfounded ethics complaint. Earls has the right to freedom of speech, and that’s especially true on crucial issues like bias in the courts. We need more judges who, like Earls, are willing to confront discrimination within the judiciary.
Though the Commission dismissed this complaint, Earls and other Democratic judges will continue to fear a weaponized ethics enforcement process. Under new legislation, Republicans will have a firm grip–and a supermajority of the votes–on the Commission. It seems that they have created a system where Republican judges and justices can flout the ethics rules, while Democrats fear sanctions for shedding light on injustice in the judiciary.”
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People’s Parity Project is a movement of attorneys and law students organizing for a democratized legal system which values people over profits, builds the power of working people, and opposes subordination of any form. Together, we are dismantling a profession that upholds corporate power and building a legal system that is a force for justice and equity. Our work focuses on building power for working people in the civil legal system through organizing, policy innovation, political education, and solidarity. Learn more: www.peoplesparity.org/about.