The Supreme Court of North Carolina held traveling sessions in Halifax, Greenville and New Bern this week in celebration of its bicentennial anniversary. Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and six associate justices held court in Halifax on May 13, Greenville on May 14 and New Bern on May 15. They heard oral arguments in two cases for each location.

Student groups, the general public and members of the legal community attended the sessions, filling and overflowing courtrooms for most of the locations. The Judicial Branch and local municipalities provided overflow venues, and for the first time in Supreme Court history, the court session was streamed live on the internet to include those unable to attend the session in person.

“Eastern North Carolina communities have welcomed our court with warmth and hospitality. It has been a sincere pleasure to visit Halifax, Greenville and New Bern to celebrate our court’s historic milestone anniversary,” said Chief Justice Cheri Beasley.

Under state law, the Supreme Court can meet in only two other cities outside of Raleigh - Edenton and Morganton. The General Assembly granted the Supreme Court’s request to allow the justices to convene in cities across the state during the Court’s 2018-2020 bicentennial celebration. Eastern North Carolina is the second region across the state to host the Supreme Court during its bicentennial. The Court met in the western North Carolina communities of Hendersonville, Asheville and Morganton in 2018, and are planning several traveling sessions in central North Carolina later this year.

For more information about the Supreme Court, or to request a speaker to discuss the role and importance of the North Carolina Judicial Branch and court system at your next event, please visit Celebrate.NCcourts.org.