Chief Justice Paul Newby announced the following appointment effective December 19, 2024:

Judge Robert A. Mullinax, Jr. has been appointed to serve as chief district court judge for Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties (Judicial District 36). He was appointed to the court in 2009 by former Governor Bev Perdue and first elected in 2010. Judge Mullinax received his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. Judge Mullinax will replace former Chief District Court Judge Sherri Elliott, who was appointed as a superior court judge by Governor Roy Cooper.