Black Judge to Join N.C. Supreme Court

Butterfield, who will be the only black justice on the court, will be sworn in Thursday, filling the court's only empty justice position. He will occupy the seat vacated by I. Beverly Lake, who was elected chief justice in November.

Lake, who already had a seat on the court, defeated Henry Frye, the first black chief justice in North Carolina.

Butterfield said he was pleased with the appointment. Although his appointment re-establishes a lone black justice on the court, Butterfield said he does not view his race as something that will make his job more difficult.

"It's just a high honor for anyone to have this privilege," he said.

Butterfield graduated from N.C. Central University in 1971 and received his law degree from the school in 1974.

Butterfield also served as president of the N.C. Association of Black Lawyers from 1981-84. Since 1989 he has served as a Superior Court judge for Wilson and Edgecombe counties.

Butterfield said he now looks forward to serving on the state's Supreme Court and working with the other six justices.

"I feel we have a sense of cooperation and will work well together," he said.

Though Lake and Butterfield have not worked together before, Lake said he welcomes the chance.

"I haven't had that opportunity, and I really look forward to it," he said.

But Lake said the transition from a judgeship to a seat on the Supreme Court will be a challenging one for Butterfield.

"He needs to be accustomed to the way the Supreme Court operates," he said. "He has a lot of reading to do to get ready for court next week."

Lake added that this transition is difficult for anyone new to the position.

Easley stated in a press release that Butterfield has served as a trial judge for more than a decade and is well-qualified for the post.

"He has presided over numerous complex and criminal cases, exercising great wisdom and impartially in the process," Easley stated in the release. "Judge Butterfield brings a unique knowledge of our court system from the bottom up, and it is an honor to appoint him to our highest court."

Butterfield also has served on several judicial committees, including the N.C. Conference of Superior Court Judges Law and Legislation Committee, the Courts and Media Commission and the Criminal Justice Information Network Board of Directors.

Butterfield has lived in Wilson his entire life and said he looks forward to beginning his new position as a Supreme Court justice. "I plan to roll up my sleeves and go to work."