| Bob Orr | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court | |
| In office January 1, 1995 – July 31, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Louis B. Meyer |
| Succeeded by | Paul Newby |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1946-10-11) October 11, 1946 (age 78) Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 2021) Independent (since 2021) |
| Education | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA, JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1968–1971 |
Robert F. "Bob" Orr (born October 11, 1946) is an American attorney, jurist, and politician who served as an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1995 to 2004. Orr was a Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina in 2008 North Carolina gubernatorial election.
Early life and education
Orr was born in Norfolk, Virginia and spent his childhood in Hendersonville, North Carolina. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Orr served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1971. Orr returned to Chapel Hill to earn his Juris Doctor at University of North Carolina School of Law.
Career
After graduating from law school, Orr entered private law practice in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1986, Orr was appointed to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and in 1994 was elected to the state's highest court. From 1992 to 1993, Orr served on the United States National Park System Advisory Board. Orr formerly served as an adjunct faculty member at North Carolina Central University and at UNC School of Law.
On July 31, 2004, Orr retired from the state Supreme Court during the summer to head the newly formed North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law.
In December 2006, The News & Observer reported that Orr was exploring a run for governor of North Carolina in 2008. He made his candidacy official in late January 2007. He lost to Pat McCrory in the May 2008 primary. Orr then returned to the NC Institute for Constitutional Law. He stepped down from leading the institute in 2011 and joined the Poyner Spruill law firm. Gov. McCrory appointed him to serve as district attorney for the 24th district in 2014, filling a vacancy through the 2014 general election. He subsequently returned to the private practice of law.
Orr was a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention. A supporter of John Kasich, Orr said he would not vote for his party's nominee, Donald Trump, in the general election, telling a reporter that Trump would be "a danger to the country." Uproar over Orr's comments resulted in his credentials as a delegate being withheld which led him to leave the convention early.
Orr officially left the Republican Party in February 2021, changing his registration to unaffiliated.
References
- "North Carolina Judicial Branch". Supreme Court. March 27, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- Richard Wagner, "Justice Orr Describes Institute’s Role," Carolina Journal Online, August 17, 2004.
- "Under the Dome: Orr Warms to Republican Gubernatorial Bid, The News & Observer, December 15, 2006.
- "Orr Announces Bid for North Carolina Governor," Triangle Business Journal, January 30, 2007.
- News & Observer
- "Orr joins Poyner Spruill law firm | newsobserver.com projects". Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
- Governor's Office press release
- "Former NC justice: Trump would be 'danger to the country'". WRAL.com. July 18, 2016.
- "Bob Orr's Trump comments spur his departure :: WRAL.com". July 24, 2016. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016.
- Robert Orr (February 17, 2021). "Just made it official. After 45 years as a registered Republican, I am now an Unaffiliated voter. I leave the GOP having won 4 statewide elections in NC as the Republican nominee. Only 3 others in NC history have won more. https://t.co/Q2TjShOmdI" (Tweet) – via Twitter.