Governor Roy Cooper announced this week that he will appoint North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Cheri Beasley to replace Mark Martin as Chief Justice when he steps down from the bench later this month. She will be the first black woman to serve as Chief Justice in North Carolina. Beasley has been on the Supreme Court since 2012, and prior to joining the court she served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and as a District Court Judge in Cumberland County. Cooper will appoint another person to Beasley’s current seat at some point in the future. Keep reading for more news.