Cooper taps Wijewickrama for superior court seat
Roy Wijewickrama will be the new senior resident superior court judge over Haywood and Jackson counties. Donated photo
Judge Roy Wijewickrama has been appointed to fill the recently vacated senior resident superior court seat in the district made up of Haywood and Jackson counties.
The appointment, announced by Gov. Roy Cooper in a press release, came the afternoon of Nov. 14.
“Judge Wijewickrama has the experience, legal ability and deep knowledge of Haywood and Jackson Counties to be an excellent Superior Court Judge there,” Cooper said in the release. “I am grateful for his willingness to step up and continue serving his community in this way.”
Wijewickrama currently serves as chief district court judge in Judicial District 43, an appointment he gained four years ago after already having served 10 years on the bench. Previously, Wijewickrama served as a Tribal Prosecutor for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina State University and his Juris Doctorate from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
This latest appointment was announced following former Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts’ appointment as EBCI’s Chief Supreme Court Justice.
Wijewickrama told The Smoky Mountain News the morning of Nov. 15 that he became interested in the superior court seat as soon as he heard that Letts was likely going to create a vacancy by taking on his new role with the tribe.
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“Just given my qualifications, I felt like I was well positioned to serve in that role,” Wijewickrama said. “I was ready for this new challenge, and I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Western North Carolina.”
Wijewickrama will likely be sworn in within the next few weeks. Once he vacates his District Court seat, the appointment process for his successor will kick off. Within 30 days of his swearing in, the district bar, made up of attorneys from Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, will convene to vote on nominees to send to the governor’s office, at which point the governor — whether that’s Cooper or incoming governor Josh Stein — and his staff will vet candidates and make an appointment.
Next, because Wijewickrama is the Chief District Court judge, North Carolina’s Chief Supreme Court Justice, Paul Newby, will appoint one of the sitting district court judges to become the chief district court judge, a role that like senior resident superior court judge comes with a number of administrative and policy-setting duties that have an effect on courts across the judicial district.
