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Quick facts for kids James Andrew Wynn


Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office August 10, 2010
Appointed by	Barack Obama
Preceded by	James Dickson Phillips Jr.
Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
In office 1999–2010
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	Cressie Thigpen
In office 1990–1998
Preceded by	Allyson K. Duncan
Succeeded by	Himself
Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
In office September 28, 1998 – December 31, 1998
Preceded by	John Webb
Succeeded by	George L. Wainwright Jr.

Personal details
Born	James Andrew Wynn Jr. (1954-03-17) March 17, 1954 (age 71) Robersonville, North Carolina, U.S.
Education	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA) Marquette University (JD) University of Virginia (LLM)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1979–2009
Rank	Captain
Unit	J.A.G. Corps

James Andrew Wynn Jr. (born March 17, 1954) is an American judge. He works as a federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Before this, he served on courts in North Carolina. He was a judge on both the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the North Carolina Supreme Court.

About Judge Wynn

James Wynn grew up in Robersonville, North Carolina. He was one of eight children. His family owned a farm where he worked when he was young.

He went to several universities. He earned a degree in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1975. Then, he got his law degree from Marquette University Law School in 1979. Later, he earned another law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995.

Early Career and Military Service

After law school, Judge Wynn joined the Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy. This is a group of lawyers who serve in the military. He worked for four years in Norfolk, Virginia.

He continued to serve in the U.S. Naval Reserve for 26 more years. During this time, he even worked as a military judge. He retired in 2009 as a Captain.

After his active military service, Wynn worked briefly for the State of North Carolina. He then joined a law firm in Wilson, North Carolina.

Becoming a Judge

Serving North Carolina Courts

From 1990 to 2010, James Wynn served as a judge in North Carolina. He was on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He also served on the highest court in the state, the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

Becoming a Federal Judge

Nominations by President Clinton

In 1999, President Bill Clinton wanted Wynn to become a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. This court hears appeals from federal courts in several states. The Fourth Circuit had never had an African American judge. President Clinton wanted to change this.

However, a senator from North Carolina, Jesse Helms, stopped the nomination. He refused to approve a "blue slip." This is a special form needed for a judge to get a hearing in the Senate. Because of this, Wynn's nomination did not move forward. The judge seat remained empty for a long time. Later, President Clinton appointed another judge, Roger Gregory, who became the first African American judge on the Fourth Circuit.

President Clinton tried to nominate Wynn again in 2001. But the next president, George W. Bush, withdrew the nomination.

Nomination by President Obama

In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated James Wynn again for the Fourth Circuit. Both senators from North Carolina, one Democrat and one Republican, supported his nomination.

In 2010, the Senate finally approved his nomination. This was done by everyone agreeing, which is called "unanimous consent." He officially became a judge on August 10, 2010.

In 2024, Judge Wynn announced he planned to take "senior status." This means he would work a reduced schedule. However, he later changed his mind and decided to remain a full-time active judge.

Other Important Activities

He is the Chair of the Athletic Committee for the Marquette University Board of Trustees.
He was a member of the Board of Directors for the American Bar Endowment.
He was a member of the Board of Trustees for Pitt Community College.
He is a Special Advisor for the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative.
He is a Life Member of the National Conference of Uniform Law Commissioners.
He is a member of the American Law Institute.
He was the Chair of the American Bar Association's Center for Human Rights.
He is a Life Member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
He is a member of the Sigma Pi Phi fraternity.
He is a 33rd Degree Mason in the Prince Hall of Masons.
He is the Chair of the Board of Deacons at his church.

Important Cases and Decisions

Healthcare Law Decision

Case: Liberty University, Inc. v. Geithner (2011)
What happened: Judge Wynn wrote an opinion about the Affordable Care Act. This law included a rule called the "individual mandate." It said most people needed to have health insurance. Judge Wynn was the first federal judge to say that Congress had the power to create this rule under its power to collect taxes.
Why it matters: The Supreme Court later agreed with his view in a major case called NFIB v. Sebelius.

Voting Rights in North Carolina

Case: League of Women Voters of North Carolina v. North Carolina (2014) and North Carolina State Conference of NAACP v. McCrory (2016)
What happened: Judge Wynn wrote opinions about a North Carolina law that made it harder for some groups, especially African Americans, to vote. The court found that parts of the law were unfair. These parts included requiring photo ID to vote and reducing early voting. The court said these rules were made to target African Americans "with almost surgical precision."
Why it matters: The court stopped North Carolina from using these unfair voting rules. The Supreme Court did not challenge this decision, so it remained in place.

Fair Voting Districts (Gerrymandering)

Case: Common Cause v. Rucho (2018)
What happened: Judge Wynn wrote an opinion about how North Carolina's voting districts were drawn. He said the way the districts were drawn was unfair. This is called "partisan gerrymandering." It means districts are shaped to favor one political party. He believed this violated parts of the Constitution.
Why it matters: The Supreme Court later disagreed. They said that courts should not decide cases about political gerrymandering. Judge Wynn has publicly said he disagrees with the Supreme Court's decision.

Looking at Old Evidence in a Case

Case: Long v. Hooks (2020)
What happened: This case was about a man who had been convicted decades ago. New evidence came out that had not been shown to his lawyers. Judge Wynn believed the court should immediately help the man. He argued that no fair jury would convict the man with the new evidence. During the arguments, he also pointed out how race played a role in the case. He noted that many Black men had been wrongly accused at that time.
Why it matters: Soon after this court decision, the Governor of North Carolina pardoned the man.

School Dress Codes and Equal Rights

Case: Peltier v. Charter Day School, Inc. (2022)
What happened: Judge Wynn joined a decision that said a public charter school was acting like the state. The court found that the school's dress code was unfair. It required girls to wear skirts because they were seen as "fragile vessels." The court said this rule violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. This clause means everyone should be treated equally under the law.
Why it matters: Judge Wynn also wrote an opinion explaining why this decision was important. He said that making schools follow the Constitution helps educational progress, not stops it.

Property Owner Responsibility

Case: Nelson v. Freeland (1998)
What happened: When he was on the North Carolina Supreme Court, Judge Wynn wrote an opinion that changed how property owners are responsible for people who visit their land. He said that property owners should treat all lawful visitors with reasonable care.
Why it matters: This decision created a new standard for premises-liability claims in North Carolina.

Cell Phone Data and Privacy

Case: United States v. Graham (2016)
What happened: Judge Wynn wrote an opinion saying that information about where your cell phone has been (called "cell site location information") should be protected by the Fourth Amendment. This amendment protects people from unreasonable searches. He argued that people don't willingly give up this information.
Why it matters: The Supreme Court later agreed with Judge Wynn in a case called Carpenter v. United States.

Travel Ban Decision

Case: International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump (2017)
What happened: Judge Wynn wrote an opinion about President Trump's "travel ban." He argued that the ban went beyond the President's power. He believed it unfairly stopped people from entering the country based on discrimination.
Why it matters: His opinion emphasized that laws should not be interpreted in a way that takes away basic rights.

Bathroom Access for Transgender Students

Case: G. G. v. Gloucester County School Board (2020)
What happened: Judge Wynn joined a decision that said a Virginia school board broke the law. The school prevented a transgender boy from using the boys' bathroom. The court said this violated Title IX, a law that prevents discrimination based on sex in education. The court stated that equal protection and Title IX protect transgender students.
Why it matters: The Supreme Court chose not to review this case, so the Fourth Circuit's decision remained in effect.

Who Can Run for Office

Case: Cawthorn v. Amalfi (2022)
What happened: Judge Wynn wrote an opinion saying that states can set rules for who can run for Congress. He argued that the Constitution's rules about Congress's members only apply to those already elected. He said states should be able to stop unqualified people, like minors or foreign citizens, from running for office.
Why it matters: He believed that not allowing states to set these rules would lead to "irrational results."

Madison Lecture on Judicial Activism

In 2020, Judge Wynn gave the important Madison Lecture at New York University School of Law. He talked about what "judicial activism" means to him. He said it happens when a court ignores important tools for making decisions.

He argued that a way of interpreting laws called "textualism" can be a type of judicial activism. This is because it might make judges ignore the history behind a law. He used the Rucho v. Common Cause case (about gerrymandering) as an example of judicial activism.

Honors and Awards

In 2022, the North Carolina Law Review held a special event to honor Judge Wynn's many years as a judge. Many important speakers attended.

Some of his awards include:

Alumnus of the Year, Marquette University Law School (2018)
Spirit of Excellence Award, American Bar Association (2018)
Liberty Bell Award, North Carolina Bar Association (2018)
Raymond Pace Alexander Award, National Bar Association (2008)
Harvey E. Beech Outstanding Alumni Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2008)
All-University Alumni Merit Award, Marquette University (2004)
E. Harold Hollows Lecturer, Marquette Law School (2003)
Martin Luther King Achievement Award, General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (1996)
Appellate Judge of the Year, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers (1995)
Order of the Old Well, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1979)

He also received several military awards:

Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards)
Navy Commendation Medal (2 awards)
Navy Achievement Medal
Naval Reserve Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Medal