NC Judicial Appointment Lauded by Pro-Homosexual Group

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NC Judicial Appointment Lauded by Pro-Homosexual Group

Special Report - August 31, 2007
Governor Mike Easley’s appointment last week of Judge John Arrowood to the North Carolina Court of Appeals has received the praise of Equality North Carolina, a statewide pro-homosexual organization. On Friday, August 24, Easley appointed Arrowood to the state’s second highest court to fill the unexpired term of Judge Eric Levinson, who resigned from the State Court of Appeals to become the U.S. Justice Department's attache to Iraq.

Equality North Carolina lauded the appointment on their website. “Governor Easley's appointment of John Arrowood to the North Carolina Court of Appeals is another step forward for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in our state,” said Ian Palmquist, the group’s executive director. The story on the Equality North Carolina website also states that Arrowood “served as chair of Equality NC PAC and a board member of Equality NC from 2005 until this past March, when he was appointed as a Special Superior Court Judge.”

Easley named Arrowood a special Superior Court Judge in March 2007. Prior to that, Arrowood was a partner with the law firm of James, McElroy & Diehl in Charlotte after serving as senior staff attorney and later staff director for the state Court of Appeals, according to a press release from the Governor’s office. He has served on a variety of state boards and commissions and graduated magna cum laude from Catawba College in 1979 and received his law degree from the UNC School of Law in 1982.

Because Arrowood was appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Court of Appeals, he will face an election to retain the seat in 2008.