Longtime Superior Court Judge Carl Fox has announced his plans to retire within the next few weeks.

Fox shared a message on his Facebook page Friday night saying he will be retiring from his position as Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for Judicial District 15B. He has served the position for 14 years and was the first Black judge to ever be appointed in the district, which includes both Chatham County and Orange County. Prior to that, he had worked as a judicial branch employee in various positions around the state since 1978.

“I will miss working in your courts and I will miss the people I have worked with for over 40 years,” wrote Fox on Friday. “However, I look forward to traveling and cooking with [my wife] Julia, visiting Angela and our family in Arkansas and California, becoming a civil superior court mediator, volunteering with Save the Fox, becoming a ranger at a nearby golf course, becoming an emergency judge or practicing law, celebrating another birthday, and reaching remission on 30 September.”

Fox’s long career was interrupted in early 2015 when he was diagnosed with a form of bone marrow cancer. Following treatments and recovery, he returned to the courtroom on July 11, 2016.

Fox was re-elected to District 15B of the Third Division of the Superior Court in 2014. With his term set to expire on December 31, 2022, the court system will submit candidates to fill the position to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

Fox is the second judge in the Orange County and Chatham County district to leave the bench this year. In July, District Court Chief Judge Joe Buckner also announced his retirement after 25 years in the position.

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