Chief Justice Paul Newby continued his 100 county courthouse tour this week. He visited the Pender and Brunswick County courthouses yesterday and will visit the New Hanover County courthouse today. Newby's 100 county tour first began in Cherokee County in May and is expected to end in Dare County in 2022. When completed, Newby will be the first chief justice to visit all of North Carolina's courthouses from Murphy to Manteo.

At each county courthouse, he greets judges and courthouse personnel to thank them for their hard work and dedication in keeping courts open this year. In 2020–2021, judges and courthouse personnel have been essential in fulfilling the Judicial Branch's constitutional "open courts" mandate to provide equal justice to all in a timely manner.

"North Carolina is blessed to have judges and courthouse personnel dedicated to keeping our courthouses open and our justice system operating smoothly," said Chief Justice Newby. "I've learned a lot during my tour by listening to our local officials and learning their best practices, which our leadership can adopt and offer guidance to other areas of the state."

Members of the media are invited to accompany Newby during each courthouse tour. Interviews, photos, and video will be permitted while the tour is in progress. The timeline and details of each visit will be announced as they become available.