I. Beverly Lake Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
I. Beverly Lake
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Lake in 2015
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| Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court | |
| In office 2001–2006 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Frye |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Parker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Isaac Beverly Lake Jr.
January 30, 1934 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | September 12, 2019 (aged 85) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1979-2019) Democratic (before 1979) |
| Alma mater | Wake Forest University (BS, JD) |
Isaac Beverly Lake Jr. (born January 30, 1934 – died September 12, 2019) was an American judge and politician. He served as the top judge, called the chief justice, for the North Carolina Supreme Court.
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Early Life and Education
I. Beverly Lake Jr. was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 30, 1934. His parents were I. Beverly Lake Sr. and Gertrude Bell. He went to Wake Forest Grammar and High School from 1940 to 1951.
Young Beverly was an Eagle Scout by 1949. This is the highest rank a Boy Scout can earn. He later received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award in 2006. Lake also served in the United States Army for a short time, from 1956 to 1958. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Wake Forest University in 1955. Later, he got his law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1960.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
Lake began his career in politics in the late 1960s. From 1969 to 1976, he worked as a deputy attorney general for the state of North Carolina. This was an appointed role, meaning he was chosen for the job.
He also served two terms in the North Carolina Senate. At that time, he was a member of the Democratic Party. He was known as a conservative politician. In his last session, he worked to change how the state managed certain schools.
Running for Governor in 1980
In October 1979, Lake decided to run for governor of North Carolina. He wanted to be the candidate for the Republican Party. A few days later, he officially changed from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party.
He ran against the current governor, Jim Hunt, but he did not win. During his campaign, he said he was "proud of his public record."
Becoming a Judge
From 1985 to 1986, Lake worked for Governor James G. Martin. He helped connect the governor with lawmakers.
In 1990, Lake ran for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. He lost that election to John Webb. However, in 1992, Governor Martin appointed Lake to the Supreme Court. This means the governor chose him for the job. He ran for election again later that year but lost to Sarah Parker.
In 1994, Lake ran for the same seat again and won. He defeated Sarah Parker with 55 percent of the votes. He and Richard Orr were among the first two Republicans elected to this court.
Serving as Chief Justice
In 2000, Lake was elected as the court's chief justice. He won against the current chief justice, Henry Frye. They remained friends and sometimes played golf together.
In April 2002, the court made an important decision. They ruled that the way legislative districts were drawn by Democratic leaders went against North Carolina's constitution. This was because the districts did not respect county boundaries. Lake wrote the main opinion for the court. He explained that following the rules would help people trust the government more.
While he was chief justice, Lake learned about several cases where innocent people were wrongly convicted. He looked into these cases with his assistant. He realized that the justice system needed to be improved. In 2002, he brought together a group of experts. This group included defense lawyers, prosecutors, and police officers. They worked to find out why innocent people were convicted and how to help them.
This group released a study that led to a new government agency in 2006. It was called the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission. This commission was created to review convictions and help free people who were found to be innocent. By North Carolina law, Lake had to step down in 2006 because he turned 72. Sarah Parker, who was an associate justice, took his place.
Later Life
I. Beverly Lake Jr. passed away on September 12, 2019. He was living in a retirement home and his health had quickly declined.
