North Carolina's courthouse doors are set to swing open for two fresh faces appointed by Governor Josh Stein, as detailed in an announcement heralding the selection of Jennifer Wells and Cameron "Chip" Harrison for District Court seats in Judicial District 1 and 38, respectively. This move comes on the heels of recent vacancies, with Wells stepping into the shoes of the retired Judge Edgar Barnes, and Harrison filling the berth left by Judge Craig Collins' ascension to the Superior Court.

Wells' background in the halls of the Office of the First Judicial District Public Defender is poised to inform her gavel strokes in her new role, her legal acumen sharpened first at Tulane University and then honed further at Campbell University School of Law—and while Harrison, exchanging his Public Defender mantle in Gaston County for the judicious robe, carries with him a bevy of experiences ranging from his own practice to imparting wisdom as an Alamance Community College instructor, having polished his jurisprudence with degrees from University of North Carolina - Wilmington and North Carolina Central University. Both appointments underscore a transition from defending the public to presiding over it, according to the Governor's office.

"Given their experience and record as public defenders, I am proud to appoint Jennifer and Cameron to the District Courts," Governor Stein stated. "They will be fair and hard-working jurists, and I look forward to their service." These words echo a confidence in the appointees' abilities to straddle the line of justice with impartiality and diligence.