7A-409. Composition of State Judicial Council.

(a) The State Judicial Council shall consist of 18 members as follows:

(1) The Chief Justice, who chairs the Council;

(2) The Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals;

(3) A district attorney chosen by the Conference of District Attorneys;

(4) A public defender chosen by the public defenders;

(5) A superior court judge chosen by the Conference of Superior Court Judges;

(6) A district court judge chosen by the Conference of District Court Judges;

(7) A clerk of superior court chosen by the Association of Clerks of Superior Court of North Carolina;

(8) A magistrate appointed by the North Carolina Magistrates' Association;

(9) An attorney appointed by the Council of the State Bar;

(10) One attorney and one nonattorney appointed by the Chief Justice;

(11) One nonattorney and one attorney appointed by the Governor;

(12) One nonattorney and one attorney appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(13) One nonattorney and one attorney appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; and

(14) One member appointed by the Commission on Indigent Defense Services.

(b) The Chief Justice and the Chief Judge shall be members of the State Judicial Council during their terms in those judicial offices. The terms of the other members selected initially for the State Judicial Council shall be as follows:

(1) One year. - The district court judge, the attorney appointed upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the attorney appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) Two years. - The district attorney, the magistrate, the nonattorney appointed by the Governor, and the nonattorney appointed by the Chief Justice.

(3) Three years. - The public defender, the attorney appointed by the Council of the State Bar, the nonattorney appointed upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the nonattorney appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(4) Four years. - The superior court judge, the clerk of superior court, the attorney appointed by the Governor, the attorney appointed by the Chief Justice, and the member appointed by the Commission on Indigent Defense Services.

After these initial terms, the members of the State Judicial Council shall serve terms of four years. All terms of members shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31. No member may serve more than two consecutive full terms. Any vacancy on the Council shall be filled by a person appointed by the official or entity who appointed the person vacating the position.

(c) If an official or entity is authorized to appoint more than one member of the State Judicial Council, the members appointed by that official or entity must reside in different judicial districts.

(d) No incumbent member of the General Assembly or incumbent judicial official, other than the ones specifically identified by office in subsection (a) of this section, may serve on the State Judicial Council.

(e) The appointing authorities shall confer with each other and attempt to arrange their appointments so that the members of the State Judicial Council fairly represent each area of the State, both genders, and each major racial group.