A lifelong Democrat who cut his political teeth as a state vice chair for Michael Dukakis’ presidential campaign, Sam/Jimmy Ervin’s roots run deep in liberal politics.
In fact, former Democratic Governors Jim Hunt and Mike Easley appointed and re-appointed Ervin to a six-figure state job on the NC Utilities Commission – even after Ervin spent five years as a lobbyist fighting utility companies.1
Today, North Carolina’s most liberal groups are lining up to endorse Judge Ervin for Supreme Court, because they know they can count on him to deliver liberal victories from the bench.
With a track record spanning more than four decades, we can count on Judge Ervin to be:
Extremely Liberal: While Judge Ervin was a member of the Governor’s Crime Commission, the Commission approved millions of dollars in grants to far-left organizations, including a group that wants to Defund our Police.2
Protecting the Privacy Rights of Sex Offenders: As a Judge, Sam Ervin overturned a bi-partisan state law requiring lifetime police GPS tracking of repeat sex offenders. Ervin agreed that repeat sex offenders’ privacy was more important than the public’s interest in preventing future sex offenses.3
Siding with Criminals: As an attorney, Ervin defended some of North Carolina’s most dangerous murderers, pedophiles, and rapists. As a judge, he made it more difficult for prosecutors to bring harsher penalties against robbers and vacated the death sentence of a man who strangled and decapitated his wife.4
Anti-School Choice: Judge Ervin ruled it was unconstitutional to give parents the opportunity to send their children to the school of their choosing.5
Siding with Bullies: Judge Ervin ruled to overturn the state’s cyberbullying law and exposed children to harassment and bullying.6
1News & Observer, May 7, 1999; News and Observer, February,26, 2007; North Carolina Secretary of State, Lobbying Database
2Governors Crime Commission, Meeting Minutes
3North Carolina Supreme Court, Case # 179A14-3, Filed August 16, 2019
4Greensboro News & Record, June 8, 2018; Winston-Salem Journal, June 9, 2018; North Carolina Supreme Court, Case #233PA16
5News & Observer, July 24, 2015
6Associated Press, June 10, 2016