Paul Martin Newby (born May 5, 1955) is an American judge, who was first elected to a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2004.[1] He was elected chief justice in 2020 defeating incumbent Cheri Beasley.
After four years in private practice in Kannapolis, a year as a counsel to a real estate developer, Vice President and General Counsel of Cannon Mills Realty and Development Corporation, Newby was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina in 1985, a post he held for almost twenty years.[1]
Following the resignation of North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Robert F. Orr, Newby was one of eight candidates, four Republicans and four Democrats, who filed in a special election to fill the vacant seat; he won that race with 23% of the vote for an eight-year term on the court in the statewide judicial elections. In the officially non-partisan race, Newby was endorsed by the North Carolina Republican Party—the North Carolina Democratic Party refused to endorse any candidate in the race.[1]
On November 3, 2020, Newby was elected North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice, for an eight-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2021.[2] He was sworn in as the 30th Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court shortly after midnight.[3]
