Gov. Mike Easley today named Sarah Parker as Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court. Parker is currently serving her second term as an Associate Justice on the Court. Parker will replace I. Beverly Lake Jr. who is retiring at the end of the month.

"As a former prosecutor, attorney general and as governor, I can say that Sarah Parker is one of the most well respected justices on the bench," said Easley. "She is highly regarded in the law enforcement, legal and business community. She is well known for her fairness and independence which is necessary for an effective judiciary. I am confident in her ability to lead the Supreme Court at this time."

"Sarah is the logical choice and I think highly of her," said Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake. "She is an excellent jurist with a keen analytical mind. She will do an exceptional job."

Parker, a native of Charlotte, earned her undergraduate and her law degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She served as an attorney in private practice for 15 years before being appointed to the N.C. Court of Appeals in 1984. She served on the Court of Appeals until 1993 when she joined the N.C. Supreme Court.

"Sarah Parker has been a friend to North Carolina law enforcement for many years," said Sheriff Ronald Hewett, president of the N.C. Sherrifs' Association. "We look forward to working with her in her new role and we are certain that she will do an exemplary job."

Parker serves on the Governor's Crime Commission. She has served on the Board of Visitors at UNC-Chapel Hill and also served on the N.C. Courts' Commission. She is a former member of the Advisory Council for the N.C. Correctional Center for Women and the former director or the Charlotte YWCA.

Parker is a member of the Mecklenburg County Bar and the N.C., American and Wake County Bar Associations, the N.C. Association of Women Attorneys, the National Association of Women Judges, the Institute of Judicial Administration, the Raleigh Executives Club, the Women's Forum of North Carolina, the N.C. International Women's Forum and the Woman's Club of Raleigh.

Parker has earned numerous awards and honors, including the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys Gwyneth B. Davis Public Service and the Judge of the Year awards, the Distinguished Woman of North Carolina Award, and the North Carolina Association of Black County Officials Humanitarian Award.