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bonds to raise funds to build a new courthouse. In addition, she introduced programs to improve the court's handling of cases involving non-English speakers, offering free
Spanish classes to judges, lawyers, and court clerks. Judge Fulton gave death sentences to three convicted murderers, a decision she later said forced her to reexamine her beliefs.
229:'s board of advisors, working with the school to provide scholarships to students. She also served on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Task Force. In Mecklenburg County, she served as co-chair of the local chapter of United Agenda for Children, and was a past president of the county bar association.
195:
A past president of the Wesley
Heights Community Association, Fulton was an advocate of community development and neighborhood improvement. She served as a board chair of the Charlotte Housing Authority, and was a co-organizer of the Queen City Congress, a coalition of downtown neighborhoods such as
179:
During her tenure as judge, Fulton led several high-profile initiatives, including what became known as "the Fulton Plan", an effort to reform handling of criminal cases system-wide to make them more racially equitable, and more efficient in the face of a significant backlog. She also campaigned for
122:. As a child, she helped pick cotton and tobacco before school every morning, along with her siblings. While in high school, she worked at a funeral home operated by Virgil Dimery. Dimery encouraged her to volunteer for voter registration drives, and took her along to political rallies.
259:
In 1993, Fulton was diagnosed with breast cancer, and took a leave of absence in 1995 to undergo treatment, including a double mastectomy and stem cell transplant, at Duke. She was named chief judge of the North
Carolina Superior Court after returning to work full-time in 1997.
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In 1982, Fulton was appointed as an assistant district attorney, the start of her 20-year career in the
Mecklenburg County courthouse. She was the first black female prosecutor in the county, and served under District Attorney Peter Gilchrist.
38:
247:
In 2018, Fulton was inducted as a Legal Legend of Color by the NCBA Minorities in the
Profession Committee. Other accolades included the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Medallion, awarded by the Charlotte Community Relations Committee.
176:, in the newly created, predominantly African American district of Mecklenburg. She became chief resident judge, the highest ranking judge in the Superior Court, after Chase Saunders retired in 1997.
244:
In 2014, Fulton was presented with the Chief
Justice's Professionalism Award, "for her selfless dedication and commitment to the principles of professionalism and public service in North Carolina".
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Fulton left the bench to enter private practice in 2002, and was a founding partner at Tin Fulton Walker & Owen, where she practiced business and real estate law. She later formed her own
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In 1987, Fulton was appointed a
District Court judge, replacing Terry Sherrill, who had been the only black judge among eleven in Mecklenburg. She was selected by Governor
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Expansion
Coalition. The hearing was organized to "shame" state legislators who had voted to block expansion of government assistance to low-income households.
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after receiving the largest number of votes in an election conducted by the
Mecklenburg County Bar. In 1988, Judge Fulton was elected to the bench of the
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Fulton left home at age 16 to attend college in North
Carolina. Fulton dropped out of college after three years, before completing a bachelor's degree at
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102:(January 2, 1952 – February 8, 2023) was an American judge and prosecutor. She was the first African American woman to serve as a judge in the
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Fulton restored the historic George Pierce Wadsworth House, which she acquired in 2001, and turned it into a conference and events center in
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Fulton was married to Leon Orr, who preceded her as president of the Wesley Heights Community Association. The couple first moved to
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485:"'Our Community Has Lost a Giant': Judge Shirley Fulton, First Black Woman Elected to North Carolina Superior Court, Dies at 71"
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when Fulton was elected judge, buying a duplex which they restored into a single-family home, which became a local landmark.
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held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Fulton hosted 400 delegates and guests from New Jersey and Maryland at Wadsworth House.
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Born on January 2, 1952, Fulton was the second of five children of Jacob Fulton, a farm laborer in
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416:"'Best of the best.' NC Judge Shirley Fulton, legal trailblazer, activist, dies at 71"
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358:"Former Chief Justice Martin presents Judge Fulton with Annual Professionalism Award"
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153:, and decided to study law. After law school, she worked for a small law firm in
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While studying at university, Fulton was a single mother raising a toddler son.
839:"Activists, former judge 'indict' NC lawmakers for denying Medicaid expansion"
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711:"THE STATE; MECKLENBURG; Judges, court officials getting Spanish lessons"
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645:"Veteran judge will step down; Shirley Fulton in line for Saunders' post"
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In 2009, Fulton was the recipient of a Citizen Lawyer Award from the
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Fulton died in hospice on February 8, 2023, of complications from
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firm, Fulton Consulting, and practiced with Singletary Law Firm.
551:"To Recognize and Remember – Law grad led N.C. Superior Court"
962:"Charlotte execs get shot at J.R. at an S.C. hunting lodge"
809:"DNC delegates gather for parties at Charlotte-area venues"
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In 2015, Fulton presided over a mock grand jury hearing in
615:"Richard Boner, Shirley Fulton to Seek 2 New Judgeships"
749:"Pioneering Charlotte judge Shirley Fulton dies at 71"
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Portillo, Ely; Lee Jr., Kenneth (February 8, 2023).
316:"Trailblazing jurist Shirley Fulton dies at age 71"
145:Upon graduating from college, Fulton worked at the
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993:"Wesley Heights' decline halted with new interest"
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443:"Judges decree: On diversity, we're not there yet"
674:"N.C. county prepares to dispose of murder cases"
806:Downey, John; Elkins, Ken (September 2, 2012).
1062:North Carolina A&T State University alumni
8:
557:. Raleigh, North Carolina. October 21, 2013
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1022:Official portrait of Judge Shirley Fulton
225:Fulton served as the chair of the former
16:American judge and prosecutor (1952–2023)
147:Guilford County register of deeds office
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127:North Carolina A&T State University
959:London, Ashley M. (January 30, 2006).
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680:. Associated Press. January 28, 1999.
314:White, Herbert L. (February 8, 2023).
1052:People from Kingstree, South Carolina
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904:"N.C. Bar Association honors members"
837:Helms, Ann Doss (February 16, 2015).
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775:"Wadsworth House receiving face lift"
441:Hamacher, Heath (February 27, 2017).
414:Gordon, Michael (February 11, 2023).
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613:Wright, Gary L. (January 5, 1988).
583:Wright, Gary L. (January 8, 1987).
482:Lawlor, Mason (February 10, 2023).
209:2012 Democratic National Convention
1087:21st-century American women judges
1077:20th-century American women judges
643:McClain, Kathleen (May 23, 1997).
218:, organized by the North Carolina
108:Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
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1067:North Carolina state court judges
990:Martin, Edward (March 13, 2000).
129:in 1977. In 1980, she earned her
934:"Legal Legends of Color Honored"
877:"Local law school expands board"
104:Superior Court of North Carolina
773:Smith, Doug (August 21, 2001).
585:"Fulton Wins District Judgeshp"
517:"The case for a devoted mentor"
1047:Deaths from gallbladder cancer
938:North Carolina Bar Association
362:North Carolina Judicial Branch
239:North Carolina Bar Association
185:alternative dispute resolution
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908:North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
447:South Carolina Lawyers Weekly
174:North Carolina Superior Court
93:North Carolina Superior Court
1082:21st-century American judges
1072:20th-century American judges
422:. Charlotte, North Carolina
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998:Charlotte Business Journal
967:Charlotte Business Journal
882:Charlotte Business Journal
814:Charlotte Business Journal
76:Duke University Law School
120:Kingstree, South Carolina
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114:Early life and education
420:The News & Observer
252:Personal life and death
227:Charlotte School of Law
216:Raleigh, North Carolina
196:Washington Heights and
843:The Charlotte Observer
779:The Charlotte Observer
649:The Charlotte Observer
619:The Charlotte Observer
589:The Charlotte Observer
521:The Charlotte Observer
555:The News and Observer
717:. October 20, 1998.
233:Awards and accolades
157:, before moving to
364:. January 22, 2015
320:The Charlotte Post
272:gallbladder cancer
100:Shirley L. Fulton
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65:(2023-02-08)
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1042:2023 deaths
1037:1952 births
1031:Categories
851:1655306356
278:References
133:degree at
82:Occupation
51:1952-01-02
920:EBSCOHost
753:WFAE 90.7
723:285526050
686:285511392
458:EBSCOHost
159:Charlotte
72:Education
862:ProQuest
847:ProQuest
734:ProQuest
719:ProQuest
697:ProQuest
682:ProQuest
220:Medicaid
198:Dilworth
490:Law.com
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155:Durham
141:Career
85:Judge
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