Cheri Beasley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cheri Beasley
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![]() Beasley in 2023
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29th Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court | |
In office March 1, 2019 – December 31, 2020 |
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Appointed by | Roy Cooper |
Preceded by | Mark Martin |
Succeeded by | Paul Martin Newby |
Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court | |
In office December 12, 2012 – March 1, 2019 |
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Appointed by | Bev Perdue |
Preceded by | Patricia Timmons-Goodson |
Succeeded by | Mark A. Davis |
Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals | |
In office January 1, 2009 – December 12, 2012 |
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Preceded by | Douglas McCullough |
Succeeded by | Mark A. Davis |
Personal details | |
Born |
Cheri Lynn Beasley
February 14, 1966 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Curtis Owens |
Children | 2 |
Education | Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BA) University of Tennessee (JD) Duke University (LLM) |
Cheri Lynn Beasley (born February 14, 1966) is an American lawyer and judge. She was the top judge (Chief Justice) of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 2019 to 2020. Before that, she was an Associate Justice on the same court from 2012 to 2019. Beasley also served as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and as a district court judge in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
In 2022, Beasley ran for a U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina as a Democrat, but she did not win.
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Cheri Beasley's Education
Cheri Beasley studied political science and economics at Rutgers University, finishing in 1988. She then earned her law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1991. Later, in 2018, she received an advanced law degree, a Master of Laws, from Duke University School of Law.
Cheri Beasley's Judicial Career
After law school, Cheri Beasley worked as an assistant public defender in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Her job was to represent people who could not afford a lawyer.
Becoming a Judge
In 1999, Governor Jim Hunt first appointed Beasley as a state district court judge. She was then elected to this position in 2002 and reelected in 2006 without anyone running against her. She served as a judge in District 12 (Cumberland County) until she was elected to the Court of Appeals.
Serving on Appellate Courts
In 2008, Beasley was elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She won against the judge who was already serving, Douglas McCullough. In this election, she made history by becoming the first Black woman to win a statewide election in North Carolina without first being appointed by a governor.
In December 2012, after four years on the Court of Appeals, Governor Beverly Perdue appointed Beasley to the North Carolina Supreme Court. She filled a spot left open by Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson who retired. Beasley was then elected to serve a full eight-year term on the Supreme Court in 2014.
On February 12, 2019, Governor Roy Cooper appointed Beasley to be the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court after Mark Martin retired. This made her the first African-American woman to serve as the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Beasley ran for a full term as chief justice in the 2020 election. She lost by a very small number of votes to Associate Justice Paul Martin Newby. After leaving her position, she joined a law firm called McGuireWoods as a partner in their Raleigh office.
2022 U.S. Senate Campaign
In February 2021, news sources reported that Beasley was thinking about running for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina. She officially started her campaign on April 27, 2021. On May 17, she won the Democratic primary election, meaning she became the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat. However, she lost the main election on November 8 to the Republican candidate, Ted Budd.
Cheri Beasley's Personal Life
Cheri Beasley is married to Curtis Owens, who is a scientist. They have twin sons. Beasley has been a speaker at many universities and events, sharing her experiences and inspiring students. She has spoken at Saint Augustine's University, the University of Tennessee College of Law, Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, Fayettesville State University, North Carolina Central University, and Elon University's School of Law.
See also
In Spanish: Cheri Beasley para niños