Chief Justice Mark Martin has appointed Judge Marion Warren as director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC), effective today, November 3. His role will be to manage and oversee the administrative services provided to the Judicial Branch's more than 6,000 employees and hundreds of courthouses and facilities in every county of the state. Judge Warren has been serving in the role of interim director since May 1.

"Judge Warren has done an exceptional job during the interim period, and I am delighted that the search committee identified him as a finalist for leading the work ahead," said Chief Justice Martin. "The skills and experience that Judge Warren has gained during his 15 years on the bench bring great value to his responsibility of administering enterprise-level services for North Carolina's Judicial Branch."

The appointment is the culmination of a national search effort by a committee led by former Chief Justice Burley Mitchell. Comprehensive recruitment efforts were used to select highly qualified and credentialed candidates, and applicants were from a number of jurisdictions.

"The search committee's work and process brought highly qualified candidates from across the country," said former Chief Justice Mitchell. "During our process, it was clear that Judge Warren possesses not only the qualifications necessary for this important responsibility, but also a genuine passion for helping people and improving the administration of justice."

Judge Warren has already begun identifying and aligning resources to meet statutory requirements. His work and responsibilities will ultimately help North Carolina's unified court system operate more efficiently and effectively, taking into account each courthouse's diverse needs, caseloads, and available resources.

"Under Chief Justice Martin's visionary leadership, this is an exciting time for the courts," said Judge Warren. "I am honored and humbled by this opportunity, and I look forward to continuing to work with Chief Justice Martin and stakeholders throughout the Judicial Branch toward ensuring that North Carolina's courts provide justice for all, pursue technological innovation necessary in our time, and exhibit responsible stewardship of the responsibilities entrusted to us by the constitution and the resources provided by the General Assembly."

Judge Warren has served as a district court judge in the 13th Judicial District (Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus counties) since 2000. He previously served the 13th Judicial District as an assistant district attorney from 1993 to 2000. Judge Warren earned his juris doctor (J.D.) from Campbell University School of Law in 1991, after also receiving his undergraduate degree from Campbell University.

About N.C. Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch is an equal and distinctively separate branch and core function of government. More than 6,000 Judicial Branch employees statewide administer justice in courthouses in North Carolina's 100 counties. The Judicial Branch budget is $484.9M, 92% of which is used to pay salaries and the remaining 8% is used for operations. The Judicial Branch receives only 2.23% of the overall State budget. More than 54% of the Judicial Branch's appropriation is equivalent to revenues collected by the courts through imposed fines and fees that are deposited in the State General Fund.

About N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts
The N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) is the administrative agency for the N.C. Judicial Branch, providing administrative services to help the North Carolina court system operate more efficiently and effectively, taking into account each courthouse's diverse needs, caseloads, and available resources.