Parker, 64, grew up in Charlotte. At 22, having traveled outside North Carolina only once, Parker flew to Turkey. She spent two years there teaching English as a Peace Corps volunteer. Parker says she came home with enough confidence to enroll in law school, an option taken by few women in the late 1960s. Since becoming chief justice, Parker, a Democrat, has succeeded with the Democratic-controlled legislature where her Republican predecessor had failed. In this year's budget, Parker and other court officials persuaded lawmakers to give the courts $34 million in additional funding. In part, the funds pay for additional personnel, including 17 District Court judges, 90 prosecutors, 75 deputy clerks and six magistrates.
North Carolina Chief Justice Sarah Parker (RPCV Turkey)says her almost 14 years on the court makes her the right choice for the top job
Chief justice touts experience
Oct 28, 2006
The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.
Oct. 28--RALEIGH -- With so much turnover on the N.C. Supreme Court in recent years, Chief Justice Sarah Parker says her almost 14 years on the court makes her the right choice for the top job.
"I believe my experience is a valuable asset to the court. We have had substantial turnover on the Supreme Court," said Parker, who has the most seniority of any of the justices.
In the last five years, four new justices have joined the court. This election, four of the court's seven seats are up for grabs.
Gov. Mike Easley appointed Parker to the post in January. Her predecessor, I. Beverly Lake Jr., had to step down because he reached the mandatory retirement age of 72.
Before joining the Supreme Court, Parker served eight years as a judge on the N.C. Court of Appeals and worked for 15 years in private practice in Charlotte.
Her opponent, Rusty Duke, Pitt County's senior resident Superior Court judge, is touting his 18 years as a trial judge -- experience Parker lacks.
"With all respect to her, she hasn't tried a case in 24 years," Duke said.
Parker dismisses that notion.
"When you have a seasoned veteran Supreme Court justice, I don't believe that is a factor that carries much weight," she said.
Parker, 64, grew up in Charlotte. At 22, having traveled outside North Carolina only once, Parker flew to Turkey. She spent two years there teaching English as a Peace Corps volunteer. Parker says she came home with enough confidence to enroll in law school, an option taken by few women in the late 1960s.
After law school, Parker was hired by Thomas Lockhart, who ran a small Charlotte firm. Lockhart, who has retired to Charleston, S.C., recalled that during the job interview, Parker quoted Shakespeare: "To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."
"That just impressed me tremendously," he said. "I think she has lived her life personally and professionally in accordance with that principle."
Parker eventually became involved in politics. She campaigned for former Gov. Jim Hunt, who appointed her in 1984 to the N.C. Court of Appeals, the state's intermediate appellate court.
During five statewide campaigns in the last two decades, Parker earned a reputation as a dogged campaigner. It is often said that anywhere three Democrats gather, Parker is sure to be among them.
In this race, Parker participated in the relatively new public financing for judicial campaigns, receiving $271,000 in public funds and raising $79,000, mainly from lawyers.
Among her judicial colleagues, Parker is known for her proper demeanor and conservative personality. As a jurist, they say, she asks few but thoughtful questions of other judges in conference and of lawyers during oral arguments. She keeps her own counsel. She rarely writes controversial opinions. She infrequently dissents.
"I think that's a reflection of her very cautious, measured way of dealing with the cases and her responsibilities," said former Justice Bob Orr of Raleigh.
About how she does her job, Parker said, "The only pledge I make to the people is I will continue to apply the law fairly and impartially to all who come before the court. ... I will give to the duties of chief justice my utmost ability, energy and integrity."
Since becoming chief justice, Parker, a Democrat, has succeeded with the Democratic-controlled legislature where her Republican predecessor had failed. In this year's budget, Parker and other court officials persuaded lawmakers to give the courts $34 million in additional funding. In part, the funds pay for additional personnel, including 17 District Court judges, 90 prosecutors, 75 deputy clerks and six magistrates.
Lake, a Republican, struggled to get funds from the legislature during lean budget years and after a Republican majority on the court declared two sets of redistricting plans drawn by the legislature unconstitutional.
Parker considers the budget win her greatest accomplishment as chief justice. "Although I can't take the full credit, a lot of people worked very hard to make that happen," she said.
Her supporters say that legislative success is reason enough to re-elect her.
"She has been active and effective with the legislature in seeking additional funding for our judicial system," said Charlotte lawyer Russell Robinson II. "That is critically important. I do believe a change in that leadership at this time could be quite bad for us."
If Parker is re-elected, she said, one of her next big tasks will be to get funding to pay for court technology projects, some of which are already under way.
She says clerks' offices are ready to handle e-citations, or electronic traffic tickets, but not all law enforcement agencies have the necessary equipment. With e-citations, officers use a laptop computer and printer mounted in their patrol cars to print a copy of the ticket for the driver and transmit it electronically to the courthouse.
Eventually, the public will be able to pay fines and court costs with a credit card.
Parker said implementation of such technology is going to take time and money.
"As chief justice and head of the judicial branch of government, you might say I'm the advocate or the cheerleader to bring it to the attention of the legislature and to advocate for this to be done," she said.
Parker also hopes to persuade the legislature to increase salaries for those in the judicial system. North Carolina's salaries -- $120,583 for state Supreme Court justices and $115,559 for appeals court judges -- rank 38th and 31st in the country, according to a January 2006 study by the National Center for State Courts.
"In order for us to keep qualified judges and also for us to keep qualified district attorneys and assistant district attorneys," Parker said, "we have to have salaries that are competitive to comparable jobs in the marketplace. ... If there is a wide disparity, qualified people are not going to be financially able to commit themselves to public service."
