Edward Thomas Brady

Edward Thomas Brady is an American trial attorney and former associate justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He was elected in November 2002 as a Republican, defeating incumbent G. K. Butterfield. His term expired in January 2011 and he did not seek re-election in 2010. He was the last serving North Carolina Supreme Court justice to be elected in a partisan race. All judicial races in North Carolina became non-partisan as the result of the Judicial Campaign Reform Act signed into law by Governor Mike Easley on October 8, 2002.

Judicial philosophy

According to the North Carolina Courts website, "Justice Brady’s judicial philosophy is, first of all, to uphold his oath of office and 'support, maintain, and defend the Constitution.' Justice Brady has a strong commitment to the rule of law, which means that no one person is above the law, and judges are no exception. He believes that the judiciary of North Carolina must remain independent and a separate co-ordinate equal branch of the government of the State of North Carolina, free from undue interference. Justice Brady understands the role of judges is to interpret the law and Constitution as written rather than rewrite the law based upon a judge’s own policy preferences and thereby thwart the express will of the people."

Early life and education

Born in New York State, Brady enlisted in the United States Army in 1965 as a private and was decorated for his service in the Vietnam War. After serving on Active Duty, Brady served as a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms with a post of duty in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brady studied at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and received an undergraduate Degree in Criminal Justice. Subsequently, in 1977 he studied at the City University of New York John Jay College of Criminal Justice and was awarded a master's degree in Criminal Justice. He also earned a law degree from the California Western School of Law, San Diego, California and was awarded the Dean's Award. Justice Brady is a member of the state bar of Georgia, the North Carolina state bar, and the District of Columbia bar.

National service

Justice Brady enlisted in the United States Army in 1965 as a private during the Vietnam War and retired in 1993 from the United States Army Reserve as a colonel (O-6), having held military police, special operations, aviation command and staff assignments. In 1968, while on active duty, Justice Brady was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with Valor Device for heroism and 2nd-18th Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device for heroism and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star. In 1966, he graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School and earned the Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Special Forces Tab, and was subsequently awarded the Senior Army Aviation Badge.

Legal experience

Upon graduating law school in 1978, Justice Brady began in private practice in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He continued with the private Law firm of Brady and Brady until 2003, when he took office as an associate justice for the North Carolina Supreme Court. Since retiring from the Supreme Court of North Carolina, he has joined the Brady Law Firm. His area of practice is criminal defense.

Professional background

For two decades, Justice Brady's area of practice was litigation in both state and federal courts in Eastern North Carolina. As a citizen-soldier, Justice Brady represented members of the armed forces in both administrative matters and general courts-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In 2002, the people of the "Old North State" elected Justice Brady to serve as an associate justice on their State's highest court.

Courts

He is additionally admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the United States Army Court of Military Appeals for Armed Forces, and the United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals.

Religious convictions

Justice Brady is a Southern Baptist. He and his family are members of Village Baptist Church, Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Justice Brady also served as a member of the personnel committee. Justice Brady and his wife, Dianne, have been designated on a number of occasions to be messengers from Village Baptist Church to the North Carolina State Baptist Convention and the national Southern Baptist Convention. Justice Brady is also a member of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Board of Visitors (Wake Forest, NC). Justice Brady was nominated and elected to the board of directors of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.