Court of Appeals Chief Judge Linda McGee has appointed Judge Valerie Zachary to the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission. Judge Zachary succeeds Judge Rick Elmore of the Court of Appeals, who served on the commission for nearly 10 years.

"Judge Zachary has served with distinction and I am confident that her extensive experience will serve the Commission and North Carolina well to ensure the proper administration of justice in our courts," said Chief Judge McGee.

Judge Zachary has served on the Court of Appeals since appointed in 2015 and was elected to an eight-year term in 2016. She previously practiced law in Yadkinville for 26 years.

Zachary is a graduate of Harvard Law School in 1987 and worked as a research assistant for Constitutional Law Professor Laurence H. Tribe. After law school, she was a litigation associate with Kennedy, Covington, Lobbell & Hickman prior to joining Zachary Law Offices. Her undergraduate degree is from Michigan State University where she majored in multi-disciplinary programs with concentration in French, Economics, and Political Science.

She is a member of the bar for all North Carolina state courts, the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Middle Districts of North Carolina, as well as a bar member for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. Tax Court. She is a past president of the Yadkin County Bar and serves on various community, civic, and charitable boards.

Judge Zachary is a native of Yadkin County and is married to State Representative Lee Zachary, who represents the 73rd District of Yadkin, Alexander, and Wilkes counties.

About N.C. Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission
The General Assembly created the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission in 1990 to make recommendations for the modification of sentencing laws and policies, and for the addition, deletion, or expansion of sentencing options as necessary to achieve policy goals. The Commission has 28 members drawn from all three branches of government; from all areas of the criminal justice system; and from the public.