Q&A: Court of Appeals candidate Tom Murry discusses fairness, role of the appellate court

The Daily Tar Heel's McKenzie Bulris spoke with Tom Murry, the Republican candidate for the N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 12, to discuss his candidacy and aspirations for the court. His Democratic opponent is Carolyn Jennings Thompson.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

The Daily Tar Heel: What do you want voters to know about you?

Tom Murry: Over the past 23 years, I've developed a reputation as a common sense advocate in many different capacities. While I was in law school, folks in my neighborhood asked me to run for town council. I was 28 years old, had a one-year-old and ran for that office, outworked everybody, and got elected and re-elected in 2009. When I graduated law school, I was working in the private sector and got asked to run for the state legislature, where I served two terms, chaired the Commerce Committee and worked on a lot of common sense legislation. 

DTH: What does justice mean to you?

TM: Equal justice under the law means that same facts, same law, same outcome. There's a blindfold on Lady Justice for a reason, and when you're seeking justice, the goal is to treat everyone equally as the same, without respect to any particular characteristic or situation. You're supposed to apply the law to the facts the same way every time. That's justice.

DTH: What issues are important to you on the Court of Appeals?

TM: The Court of Appeals has a much different role than other courts, because most of the appeals that come to the Court of Appeals are criminal convictions. About 50 percent of the 1,500 cases that come to the Court of Appeals deal with criminal convictions at the local level. I've been a state prosecutor at the local level. My advocacy as a state prosecutor — affirmed by the Court of Appeals — and working as a prosecutor with local law enforcement is extremely important when it comes to the work that the Court of Appeals does.

DTH: What makes you the better candidate for this position?

TM: I've had the fortune to serve the state and the people in various capacities over the past 23 years. One clear contrast is that I have direct experience when it comes to the legislative branch as well as the executive branch. As a judge, you don't do either of those things. You are there to interpret laws and resolve disputes between the other branches of government. It's an understanding of the separation of powers from my perspective that helps promote judicial restraint, and it helps defend our Constitutional Republic from overreach by all the branches. 

DTH: What are your primary goals if elected?

TM:  I think the polar star of any person who seeks to serve as a judge is to be viewed as fair. What fairness means in the judicial context is that the outcome is not pre-decided before the case appears before the judge. That fairness aspect comes with respect and transparency, and part of the way you show respect to the litigants is by showing up on time and rendering your decisions in a timely manner. I think that's a clear contrast in this particular race. Showing up on time and doing work in a timely manner is extremely important because justice delayed is justice denied.

Additionally, there are a host of cases that involve people who are are under-represented or do not have adequate representation, and I think there's an opportunity to invigorate this — the pro bono appellate practice — and I would like to be a leader on that, to help, even with amicus briefs on behalf of litigants.

@mckbul

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com

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