A
A RACE
A RACE OLD SEARCH RESULTS. THAT'S LOOK AT YOUR TECH HEADLINE THIS MORNING WELL THIS
MORNING WE ARE TAKING A CLOSER
LOOK AT WHO IS SITTING ON THE
BENCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA'S
COURTS. IF YOUR INTEREST IS
PAINT THIS MIGHT BE YOUR NEW
FAVORITE SHOW. ALL RISE
PREMIERES TONIGHT ON CBS. IT'S
A COURTROOM DRAMA THAT GIVES
YOU AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE LIVES
OF JUDGES PROSECUTORS AND
PUBLIC DEFENDERS AS THEY WORK
TO GET JUSTICE. THE SHOW ALSO
EXAMINES THE DISPARITY BETWEEN
THE JUDGES AND THE PEOPLE ON
TRIAL IN LOS ANGELES BECAUSE AS
AN AMERICAN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO
BE TRIED BY A JURY OF YOUR
PEERS OR PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT
THE POPULATION. BUT DOES THE
PERSON HOLDING THE GAVEL IN THE
COURTROOM REPRESENT THE
POPULATION. I SPOKE TO OUR
STATE SUPREME COURT CHIEF
JUSTICE AND THE NEWEST DISTRICT
COURT JUDGE IN ROCKINGHAM AND
CASWELL COUNTY'S ABOUT THE
GAVEL GAP. ERICA'S STANFIELD
BRANDON SOLEMNLY SWEAR. THIS
MOMENT MADE HISTORY
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES TO HELP YOU GOD. THAT'S
IT MAY NOT LOOK OUT OF THE
ORDINARY BUT WHAT YOU'RE
WATCHING IS VERY RARE IN NORTH
CAROLINA AND THIS IS THE FIRST
TIME THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED IN
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. FAR AS
AFRICAN-AMERICAN PERIOD MAN OR
WOMAN JUDGE ERICA BRANDON IS
THE FIRST TO SIT ON THE BENCH
HERE AS A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE.
SHE SERVES BOTH ROCKINGHAM AND
CARSWELL COUNTIES. I THINK
EVERY BARSON DESERVES A
POSITION AT THE TABLE. WOULD
YOU SAY IT ALSO BRINGS A NEW
LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION TO THE
PEOPLE OF ROCKING CATHERINE
CASWELL COUNTY WHO ARE ON
TRIAL. OH ABSOLUTELY. YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO BE TRIAL BY YOUR
PEERS. AND WE TRY BEST WITH THE
JURY SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT
EACH DEFENDANT IS TRIED BY
THEIR PEERS AND IS REPRESENTED
IN THE COMMUNITY. THESE ARE
WELL REPRESENTED ON THE BENCH.
WE SHOULD BE AS WELL RIGHT NOW
9 PERCENT OF STATE JUDGES IN
NORTH CAROLINA ARE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN 13
PERCENT ARE WHITE WOMEN 18
PERCENT OF THE BENCH IS MADE UP
OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN AND THE
MAJORITY OF THE COURT 66
PERCENT OF JUDGES ARE WHITE
MEN. THE DISPARITY IS KNOWN AS
THE GAVEL GAP STATE SUPREME
COURT JUSTICE SHERRI BEASLEY
SEES IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
GROWTH. I THINK IT'S EXCITING
THAT PEOPLE SEE THAT IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT OUR JUDICIAL
BRANCH REFLECT THE POPULATION
OF NORTH CAROLINA. SO HELP YOU
GOD. CHIEF JUSTICE BEASLEY IS
THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN
WOMAN TO HOLD THE HIGHEST
POSITION ON OUR STATE'S SUPREME
COURT. I HOPE THAT IN SOME WAY
I'M PLANTING SEEDS THAT IN A
LOT OF WAYS I HOPE THAT MY ROLE
INSPIRES YOUNG PEOPLE TO THINK
ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO BE
WHETHER CHIEF JUSTICE OR
SOMETHING ELSE. AND I REALLY DO
HOPE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE CAN SEE
THAT THEY REALLY DO OFFER THE
HOPE AND PROSPERITY THE
COMMUNITIES PROVIDE AND THAT
THEY REALLY CAN SEE THAT THEY
CAN BE WHATEVER IT IS THEY'D
LIKE TO BE A SENTIMENT SHARED
BY JUDGE BRANDON. DO YOU FEEL
THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE
DIFFERENT HATS YOU WEAR THE MOM
HAT THE WIFE HAT THE JUDGE THE
ADVOCATE HAT DO YOU FEEL THE
DISTINCTION OR HAS ALMOST
BECOME ONE. I THINK IT ALWAYS
HAS BECOME ONE BECAUSE NOW
THAT'S WHO I AM. I JUST WEAR
THOSE DIFFERENT HATS AT
DIFFERENT TIMES AND AT
DIFFERENT POINTS DURING THE DAY
BUT ALL OF THAT IS WHO MAKES
ERICA AND AND I JUST TRY
WHATEVER HEAD I'M WEARING AT
THAT PARTICULAR TIME TO BE THE
BEST. ERICA THAT I CAN BE SO
WHETHER I'M THE JUDGE HAD THAT
DAY STILL BEING THE BEST. ERICA
WHEN THE MAIN ADVOCATE IS ERICA
THE BEST WIFE THE BEST MOM AND
COMPILING ALL OF THAT TOGETHER
TO MAKE ONE WHOLE PERSON OF
ERICA THAT JUST WEARS THOSE
DIFFERENT HATS SO JUDGE BRANDON
AND CHIEF JUSTICE BEASLEY BOTH
SAID THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF THE
DIVERSITY THAT SAW IN MOST
STATE COURTS IN NORTH CAROLINA
NOW BUT THEY DO RECOGNIZE THAT
THERE IS ROOM FOR MORE AND
THERE'S ROOM FOR MORE
REPRESENTATION. STILL THEY SAID
EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ON THE
BENCH THEY FOLLOW THE LAW NO
MATTER WHAT BACKGROUND THEY
HAVE THE WALL IS THE SAME.
YEAH. DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MANY
FEWER WOMEN JUDGES IN GENERAL
THERE ARE IN NORTH CAROLINA
COMPARED TO MEN SO PERHAPS THIS
AND MAYBE THE SHOW AIRING
TONIGHT WILL INSPIRE MORE YOUNG
WOMEN PURSUING LAW TO TRY TO
SEEK THE TOP JOB OPENING THE
DOORS WHEN IT'S ON THEM? SO
THAT SHOW AIRS TONIGHT ON CBS?
THAT'S RIGHT. LET'S GET YOU
THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW YOU