July 10, 2026
Transylvania Partners for Democracy will hold a community forum on “The Assault on Our Judiciary” with keynote speaker N.C. Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Anita Earls at the Transylvania County Library’s Rogow Room on Saturday, July 18 at 1 p.m.
The speakers for the session will explore the escalating level of threats to members of the judiciary. In a recent joint statement by 50 retired federal judges appointed by presidents of both parties, this group pointed out that federal judges in particular had become the target of an unprecedented number of threats based on rulings that had been harshly criticized by other senior public officials.
Prior to taking office in 2019, Justice Earls spent more than 30 years as a civil rights attorney specializing in voting rights, school desegregation, and employment discrimination matters. Other scheduled speakers include Buncombe County District Attorney-elect Martin Moore and Brevard City Attorney Mack McKeller, who previously served as state district judge for District 29B from 2018 to 2020.
This session is part of a series of public talks and forums sponsored by the Transylvania Partners for Democracy that began in early 2024. The local citizens who formed the organization have sought to bring together Transylvania County neighbors to explore the threats to democracy in the United States.
More information is available at www.transylvaniapartnersfordemocracy.com.