Former Sen. Barringer to run for North Carolina high court

U.S. Court News

Candidates for the North Carolina Supreme Court continue to grow with two or three seats on the ballot next year due to Chief Justice Mark Martin's impending resignation.

Former state Sen. Tamara Barringer of Cary told supporters Tuesday she would seek a court spot in 2020. The attorney and university professor served in the legislature for over six years before losing in November.

Barringer says she'll seek an associate justice's seat. It's unclear if one or two will be open. It depends on whether Gov. Roy Cooper elevates someone already on the court when he names a successor to Martin, who leaves Feb. 28.

Court of Appeals Judges Lucy Inman and Phil Berger Jr. have put out their names to run for the state's highest court in the past week.

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Texas Adopts Statewide Texting-While-Driving Ban

Effective September 1, 2017, Texas will become the 47th state to pass a statewide ban on texting while driving. Governor Abbott’s signing of House Bill 62 is an effort to unify Texas under a uniform ban and remedy the “patchwork quilt of regulations that dictate driving practices in Texas.”

The bill specifically prohibits drivers from reading, writing, or sending an electronic message on a device unless the vehicle is stopped. That includes texting and emailing. It does not, however, prohibit dialing a number to call someone, talking on the phone using a hands-free device, or using the phone’s GPS system.

Violations would be punishable by a fine ranging from $25 to $99, to be set by each municipality. Although penalties could rise to as much as $200 for repeat offenders.

Studies have found that a driver’s reaction time is half as much when a driver is distracted by sending or reading a text message. According to state officials, in 2015 more than 105,000 traffic accidents in Texas involved distracted driving, leading to at least 476 fatalities.