House committee continues to vet bill to punish “sanctuary cities”
As Tuesday afternoon’s N.C. House Judiciary II committee got under way, it was quickly apparent to Rep. John Blust (R-Guilford) that House Bill 63 – the “Citizens Protection Act of 2017” – was not...
View ArticleRep. Joe John talks judicial, legislative experience in midst of partisan...
Rep. Joe John (D-Wake) holds a picture from his office that was taken during his time as a judge. (Photo by Melissa Boughton) When House lawmakers passed a bill to reduce the Court of Appeals from 15...
View ArticleBill to shrink state Court of Appeals, add to Supreme Court’s workload in...
Republican lawmakers have ignored every piece of advice and concern from the legal community over the last few weeks regarding shrinking the Court of Appeals and passed House Bill 239 Tuesday. The bill...
View ArticleBerger’s chief of staff: Senate committee appointments coming to discuss best...
Jim Blaine, chief of staff to Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, and Rep. Joe John (D-Wake) discussed judicial selection on Capital Tonight. The Senate President Pro Tem‘s chief of staff and a...
View ArticleLegislative bill tracking: Former judge turned lawmaker keeping track of...
Trying to keep track of the major legislation over the last year that has been aimed at the judiciary? Look no further than Rep. Joe John (D-Wake), one of two lawmakers in the General Assembly who used...
View ArticleGovernor appoints Joe John as head of Courts Commission after Duane Hall resigns
Rep. Joe John (D-Wake) Rep. Duane Hall (D-Wake) quietly resigned as head of the North Carolina Courts Commission a month ago, shortly after NC Policy Watch detailed sexual harassment allegations...
View ArticleCourts Commission to discuss bail at Friday meeting
The North Carolina Courts Commission is set to meet Friday for the first time in more than a year, and they’re mainly expected to talk about bail. Rep. Joe John was appointed head of the Commission...
View ArticleHouse Democrats propose a bill to expand NC voting rights
Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D-Pitt, Wilson) on Tuesday discussed a Democratic bill to expand voting rights in North Carolina. (Photo by Melissa Boughton) House Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday...
View ArticleIndividuals charged with misdemeanors could get their first appearance in NC...
Under state law, individuals charged with felony offenses are guaranteed a first appearance hearing before a district court official within 96 hours after they are taken into custody. But the same rule...
View ArticleCompromise jail mugshot bill passes House and survives crossover deadline
The author argues that North Carolina should not roll back its "Raise the Age" law which presumes that 16- and 17-year-olds accused of criminal offenses should be treated as juveniles. (Photo: Getty...
View ArticleRep. Joe John on how policy provisions in the state budget will reshape NC’s...
Rep. Joe John (Wake Co.) (Photo: NCGA) After a delay that stretched almost three months into the new fiscal year, Republican legislators unveiled a massive budget document on September 20 and then...
View ArticleCancer diagnosis forces veteran Democratic state lawmaker to resign
Rep. Joe John (Wake Co.) (Photo: NCGA) Democratic State Rep. Joe John of Wake County, who came to the General Assembly later in life after many years as a judge of the state District Court, Superior...
View ArticleJoe John, longtime North Carolina lawmaker and judge, dies
Rep. Joe John (Wake Co.) (Photo: NCGA) Rep. Joe John, who served as a North Carolina state lawmaker after years in the judiciary, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 85. John, a Democrat from Wake...
View ArticleRep. Joe John will be sorely missed
Rep. Joe John (Wake Co.) (Photo: NCGA) In today’s world of politics in which the goal of so many politicians seems to be about converting their elected office into a gig as a highly paid lobbyist or...
View ArticleWake Dems select former federal prosecutor to succeed Rep. Joe John in NC House
Phil Rubin will succeed Rep. Joe John who died last week following a battle with cancer. (Courtesy photo) Wake Democrats voted to recommend Phil Rubin to replace former Rep. Joe John, who died last...
View ArticleState lawmakers introduce bill for nonpartisan judge elections in memory of...
Rep. Joe John (Wake Co.) (Photo: NCGA) Democrats in the General Assembly proposed legislation recently in memory of the late state Rep. Joe John that would realize his vision of a return to nonpartisan...
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