N.C. groups condemn bill targeting judicial immunity

Advance Carolina, Emancipate NC and North Carolina Black Alliance strongly condemn U.S. Rep. Tim Moore’s introduction of the so-called Judicial Accountability for Public Safety Act, a deeply dangerous and unconstitutional proposal that would hold judges civilly liable for their judicial decisions.

This legislation represents a blatant assault on the separation of powers — one of the most essential safeguards of democracy, according to Jovita Lee, Ed.D., policy director for Advance Carolina. Judges must remain free to interpret the law and make rulings based on facts of each case, not under the threat of political or financial retaliation. Stripping judicial immunity under the guise of “public safety” would create a chilling effect on the courts, undermining fair and impartial decision-making and ultimately jeopardizing every North Carolinian’s right to due process.

“Eroding the independence of the judiciary is both anti-democratic and unconstitutional. Coercing judicial officials to incentivize pretrial incarceration and excessive prison sentences spits in the face of the basic principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty. If U.S. Rep. Moore and his colleagues are truly interested in creating public safety and accountability, they would spend less time trying to infringe on the powers of the judicial branch and more time working to make sure millions of Americans can have affordable health care, with access to mental health professionals, and reopen the government,” said Dawn Blagrove, Esq., executive director of Emancipate NC.

Politicians on both sides are abandoning democracy and the people. This proposal is textbook political violence — ripped straight from the Jim Crow-era playbook — where fear and control were weaponized to silence judicial independence and criminalize entire communities. We are witnessing, in real time, the erosion of moral and political principles by those entrusted to lead.

“For decades, we have watched lawmakers prioritize power over people and headlines over humanity. The failures of leadership we’ve seen this week — and for the better part of the last century — remind us that progress requires unity across race and party lines. This moment demands political understanding and solidarity. Our collective liberation depends on defending democracy, not dismantling it for political gain,” said Marcus Bass, deputy director of North Carolina Black Alliance.

This legislation does not make our communities safer. It makes them more vulnerable — by weakening the courts’ ability to protect rights, ensure fairness and apply justice without intimidation or interference.

We call on North Carolina’s delegation and community leaders across the state to reject this reckless attempt to politicize the judiciary and to stand firmly on the side of democracy, justice and the rule of law.