Chief Justice Mark Martin has assigned a three-judge panel to convene a special session of superior court in Columbus County to hear evidence relevant to the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission's recommendation in the case of State v. Joseph Sledge, 78 CRS 2415-16 (Columbus County). Judges Thomas H. Lock, Anna Mills Wagoner, and Kevin Bridges have been assigned, pursuant to N.C.G.S. 15A-1469(a).

The assignment of the three-judge panel comes after a three-day hearing earlier this month where commissioners of the Innocence Inquiry Commission unanimously concluded sufficient evidence of actual innocence merited judicial review. The hearing will be held in the coming months.

Public records for the State v. Joseph Sledge are available on the Commission's website. The website will be updated as other public records become available.

Judge Lock has served as the senior resident superior court judge for Judicial District 11B (Johnston County) since 2007. Judge Wagoner has been the senior resident superior court judge for Judicial District 19C (Rowan County) since 2011. Judge Bridges has served as a superior court judge for Judicial District 20A (Stanly, Anson, and Richmond counties) since 2008 and will be the senior resident superior court judge for the newly established Judicial District 20A (Stanly County), effective January 1, 2015.

About the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission
The Innocence Inquiry Commission was created in 2007. To date, the Commission has conducted nine commission hearings, resulting in seven people being exonerated by commission process.