Cooper Appoints Political Hack To Court of Appeals

December 30, 2020
For Immediate Release

Raleigh, NC - Today, Governor Roy Cooper appointed left-wing political hack Darren Jackson to fill conservative jurist Phil Berger’s seat on the North Carolina Court of Appeals following his election to the Supreme Court. In a record turnout election, North Carolina voters chose conservative jurists for all eight statewide judicial openings. Cooper is now subverting their will by filling a conservative held seat with a radical liberal legislator and Democrat party leader. 

Not only is Cooper’s nakedly partisan move is in direct contradiction to the will of North Carolina voters, but it is also yet another indicator that Cooper has little respect for the role of the judiciary and our constitutional system. Jackson has no judicial experience. His main qualification is as chief Cooper legislative cheerleader and Democrat house leader. It is clear Cooper does not want fair-minded jurists who will interpret the law as written; he needs partisan hacks to act as a super legislative body to enact his radical agenda. 

“Governor Cooper’s nakedly partisan decision to appoint a political ally rather than an experienced, fair-minded jurist to the powerful North Carolina Court of Appeals is an affront to an independent judiciary,” said NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley. “North Carolina voters chose conservative judges for every single statewide judicial election in 2020. Cooper’s decision to appoint a left-wing activist to the Court of Appeals is an affront to the direction North Carolina voters chose this election.” 

This move should remove the illusion that Cooper would attempt to govern from the middle or work across the aisle in his second term. Jackson’s appointment signals that Cooper will continue to play partisan games rather than work on solutions for the people of North Carolina. 

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