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Cressie Thigpen

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Cressie H. Thigpen
Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
In office
January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2013
Appointed byBev Perdue
Preceded byBarbara Jackson
Succeeded byChris Dillon
In office
August 23, 2010 – January 1, 2011
Appointed byBev Perdue
Preceded byJames Andrew Wynn
Succeeded byDouglas McCullough
Personal details
Born
Cressie H. Thigpen Jr.

(1946-08-12) August 12, 1946 (age 78)
Political partyDemocratic
EducationNorth Carolina Central University (BBA)
Rutgers University (JD)

Cressie H. Thigpen Jr. is a North Carolina lawyer and jurist who served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Early life and education

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Thigpen was born August 12, 1946.[1] He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from North Carolina Central University in 1966 and his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University in 1973.[1] He is a veteran of the Peace Corps.

Career

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Thigpen served as a special superior court judge from May 2008 until his 2010 appointment to the Court of Appeals. Previously, he was a partner in the law firm now known as Blue, Stephens & Fellers.

In 1999, he was elected president of the state bar – the first African-American to hold that post.

He has served as chairman of the board of trustees of North Carolina Central University, and has served on the board of trustees for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Court of Appeals

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Governor Bev Perdue appointed Thigpen to the Court of Appeals in August 2010 to replace Judge James Andrew Wynn, who had been appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals. In the election that followed in November 2010, Thigpen lost to former Judge Douglas McCullough in what was the state's first use of instant runoff voting for a statewide election. Thigpen was then appointed by Gov. Perdue to fill a different seat on the Court of Appeals, which became vacant when Barbara Jackson won election to the North Carolina Supreme Court.[2] He then ran in the 2012 election to retain his seat. Thigpen was endorsed by the (Raleigh) News and Observer, which wrote, "Thigpen has performed well on the court, and has long legal experience and a record of service to the region and state."[3] He was also endorsed by former Court of Appeals Chief Judge Sidney S. Eagles Jr. and former Supreme Court Chief Justices Henry Frye and Burley Mitchell.[4] Nevertheless, Thigpen was defeated in the 2012 election by Chris Dillon.[5]

Electoral history

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2012

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North Carolina Court of Appeals (Thigpen seat) election, 2012[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Chris Dillon 1,779,906 52.74%
Nonpartisan Cressie Thigpen (incumbent) 1,594,799 47.26%
Total votes 3,374,705 100%

2010

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North Carolina Court of Appeals (Wynn seat) election, 2010[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Cressie Thigpen (incumbent) 395,220 20.33%
Nonpartisan Douglas McCullough 295,619 15.21%
Nonpartisan Chris Dillon 201,870 10.39%
Nonpartisan Anne Middleton 174,556 8.98%
Nonpartisan Daniel E. Garner 153,971 7.92%
Nonpartisan Jewel Ann Farlow 151,747 7.81%
Nonpartisan Harry Payne 99,257 5.11%
Nonpartisan Stan Hammer 96,451 4.96%
Nonpartisan Mark E. Klass 90,526 4.66%
Nonpartisan Pamela M. Vesper 90,116 4.64%
Nonpartisan John F. Bloss 78,857 4.06%
Nonpartisan John Sullivan 69,971 3.60%
Nonpartisan J. Wesley Casteen 45,610 2.35%
Total votes 1,943,771 100%
North Carolina Court of Appeals (Wynn seat) election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Douglas McCullough 543,980 50.31%
Nonpartisan Cressie Thigpen (incumbent) 537,325 49.69%
Total votes 1,081,305 100%

References

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  1. ^ a b "Cressie Thigpen". Indy Week. September 22, 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  2. ^ News & Observer: Thigpen back on Appeals Court Archived 2012-04-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ News & Observer: Appealing choices Archived 2012-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Endorsements Archived 2012-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ NC Court of Appeals: McGee, Bryant stay on; Dillon ousts Thigpen Archived 2013-01-02 at archive.today
  6. ^ "11/06/2012 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  7. ^ "11/02/2010 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
2010–2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
2011–2013
Succeeded by