The chief superior court judge is Orlando Hudson, who presided over the Michael Peterson trial. He is AA and seemed to me eminently fair.
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
the Peterson trial had no race element whatsoever though.
Hudson has to run for re-election. Hudson is also black.
In this case, which Race was involved, Hudson was solidly behind the black convicted killer:
Summary:
Desmond Keith Carter went to the home of his 71 year old neighbor, Helen Purdy (who was white), and asked to borrow money. When she refused, he stabbed her 13 times and took $15. Carter confessed to the crime, at first claiming that Purdy got excited, attempted to push him and fell on the knife. At trial, Carter admitted the killing, but argued that he was intoxicated on alcohol, crack cocaine and tranquilizers when he stabbed Purdy. The jury did not buy either story. Carter was on Parole at the time of the Killing. Carter suffered a stab wound in the attack. Carter said that four white men had jumped and stabbed him.
Carter's defense lawyers argued to Judge Hudson that Carter's original lawyers weren't good enough and that racial bias against black defendants accused of killing whites made his trial unfair.
Durham Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson agreed to stay Carter's execution on 12/04/02.
Two days later Judge Hudson was overruled by the North Carolina Supreme Court.
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/carter814.htm
Did you watch the Peterson trial on CourtTV? I did. After reading the various arguments Hudson heard on the Carter case, I think he was right to order a stay (a temporary halt) to the execution, allowing a higher court to determine the outcome. Unlike Judge Ito, Hudson never seemed to revel in the limelight, or posture on the bench. He was even-handed. What more can one expect?