Paul Ridgeway

Mary Easley in court — for jury duty

bniolet — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:35:21 -0400

North Carolina's former First Lady Mary Easley was called to the Wake County courthouse today — for jury duty.

Easley, a lawyer who has been at the center of a hiring scandal at N.C. State University, was excused from serving on a jury hearing a felony criminal case Tuesday morning, Sarah Ovaska reports.

Wake Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway agreed with a Wake assistant prosecutor that Easley wasn't the best fit to serve on the jury, and sent Easley back to see if any of the other courtrooms in the busy courthouse could use her on other jury panels.

The routine jury service comes at a difficult time for the former First Lady.

She and her husband Mike Easley have been a focus for a special grand jury meeting in the federal courthouse in Raleigh, just a few blocks away from the county courthouse in downtown Raleigh.

After stepping out of the courtroom Tuesday morning, Easley declined to talk about the controversy surrounding her hiring nor the federal investigation surrounding her husband, a Democrat and former attorney general who was governor from 2001 to January 2009.

As she waited for an elevator to bring her back up to a meeting room for potential jurors, she did say that she'd never served on a jury before.

"I'm here for jury service," Mary Easley said. "That's the most important thing you should do."

More after the jump.

Wright seeks to overturn expulsion

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:13:34 -0400

Thomas Wright's lawyers have filed papers in Wake County Superior Court to get his seat back.

Irving Joyner argued that the state House of Representatives' vote to expel Wright was punishment without a trial.

He also argued that current House members didn't have standing to expel Wright because the allegations, if true, occurred in a previous legislative session.

Joyner asked Judge Paul Ridgeway to schedule a hearing immediately.

Three weeks ago, Ridgeway declined to block the House ethics committee from hearing the Wright case, saying it was not his job to interfere with the legislature. (AP)

Judge refuses Wright's request

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:05:53 -0500

A Wake County judge Thursday refused to block the General Assembly from hearing ethics charges against state Rep. Thomas Wright next week and potentially expelling him from the House of Representatives.

Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway refused Wright's request for a temporary restraining order against the special House committee hearing the ethics case, Mark Johnson reports.

The judge ruled that it would be an "encroachment" and "intrusion" for the court to interfere with the House's disciplining of one of its own members.

"The court must presume the folks on Jones Street (the Legislative Building) are fully capable of doing their job in accordance with the law," Ridgeway said from the bench.

Wright's lawyer, N.C. Central law professor Irv Joyner, said he and Wright will consider an appeal. Rep. Rick Glazier, co-chair of the special House committee, said the judge gave the request "full and fair consideration."