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Chris Dillon

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Chris Dillon
Judge Dillon at the NC Court of Appeals in Raleigh, NC.
Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
Assumed office
January 1, 2024
Appointed byPaul Martin Newby
Preceded byDonna Stroud
Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
Assumed office
January 1, 2013
Preceded byCressie Thigpen
Personal details
Born
Robert Christopher Dillon

1965 (age 58–59)
Raleigh, North Carolina
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAnn Finley
Children5
EducationNeedham Broughton High School
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BS, JD)

Robert Christopher "Chris" Dillon (born 1965) is a North Carolina attorney and judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Dillon won election to the appellate court in a statewide race on Nov. 6, 2012, when he defeated incumbent Cressie Thigpen.[1] Dillon won re-election on Nov. 3, 2020 over challenger Gray Styers.

Early life and education

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Chris Dillon was born and raised in Raleigh, the youngest of C.A. and Mildred Dillon’s five children. He attended public schools throughout his childhood, graduating from Needham Broughton High School. Dillon earned his B.S. in Business Administration and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[2] In 2018, Dillon graduated from Duke University with an LL.M. degree.[3]

Family

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Judge Dillon is married to Ann (née Finley), a special education teacher with whom he has had five children:  Sally, Matt, Anna, Molly, and Sam.[4]

Career

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Following law school, Judge Dillon practiced law at Young Moore Henderson in Raleigh, focusing on administrative, business, and real estate law.

Judge Dillon has been licensed by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission as a broker for over twenty years and has worked as a commercial real estate broker where he created and managed a number of investment real estate entities.

In 2006, Judge Dillon helped start a community bank where he served as a Senior Vice President. In 2011, he returned to private practice, representing a number of small business owners, professionals, and a state occupational licensing board.

In 2012, Judge Dillon was elected to an eight-year term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.  Judge Dillon has been an adjunct professor, teaching real estate focused courses at both UNC School of Law and Campbell School of Law.  In 2018, Judge Dillon was awarded his LLM degree from the Duke University School of Law in the field of Judicial Studies.

Throughout his career, Judge Dillon has served on a number of civic boards and committees, including DHIC, Inc. (formerly Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation), the North Carolina Bar Association, and the Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.  He has taught youth Sunday School at Edenton Street United Methodist Church since 1990.[5]

In 2020, Judge Dillon was re-elected to another eight-year term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Following his re-election, he was appointed to serve as Chair of the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission [citation needed]

Electoral history

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2020

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North Carolina Court of Appeals (Seat 6) election, 2020[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Chris Dillon (incumbent) 2,769,020 51.95%
Democratic Gray Styers 2,561,090 48.05%
Total votes 5,330,110 100%
Republican hold

2012

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North Carolina Court of Appeals (Thigpen seat) election, 2012[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Chris Dillon 1,779,906 52.74%
Nonpartisan Cressie Thigpen (incumbent) 1,594,799 47.26%
Total votes 3,374,705 100%

2010

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North Carolina Court of Appeals (Wynn seat) election, 2010[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Cressie Thigpen (incumbent) 395,220 20.33%
Nonpartisan Douglas McCullough 295,619 15.21%
Nonpartisan Chris Dillon 201,870 10.39%
Nonpartisan Anne Middleton 174,556 8.98%
Nonpartisan Daniel E. Garner 153,971 7.92%
Nonpartisan Jewel Ann Farlow 151,747 7.81%
Nonpartisan Harry Payne 99,257 5.11%
Nonpartisan Stan Hammer 96,451 4.96%
Nonpartisan Mark E. Klass 90,526 4.66%
Nonpartisan Pamela M. Vesper 90,116 4.64%
Nonpartisan John F. Bloss 78,857 4.06%
Nonpartisan John Sullivan 69,971 3.60%
Nonpartisan J. Wesley Casteen 45,610 2.35%
Total votes 1,943,771 100%

References

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  1. ^ News & Observer: NC Court of Appeals: McGee, Bryant stay on; Dillon ousts Thigpen Archived 2013-01-02 at archive.today
  2. ^ "Chris Dillon | North Carolina Judicial Branch". www.nccourts.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  3. ^ Bios judicialstudies.duke.edu
  4. ^ "Chris Dillon | North Carolina Judicial Branch". www.nccourts.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  5. ^ "Chris Dillon | North Carolina Judicial Branch". www.nccourts.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  6. ^ "11/03/2020 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  7. ^ "11/06/2012 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  8. ^ "11/02/2010 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
2013–Present
Incumbent
Preceded by Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
2024–Present
Incumbent