Cressie H. Thigpen, Jr. is a North Carolina lawyer and jurist who was appointed to a seat on the North Carolina Court of Appeals in August 2010. Governor Bev Perdue appointed Thigpen to replace Judge James A. Wynn, who had been appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals. In the election that followed in November 2010, Thigpen lost to former Judge Douglas McCullough in what was the state's first use of instant runoff voting for a statewide election. Thigpen was then appointed by Gov. Perdue to fill a different seat on the Court of Appeals, which became vacant when Barbara Jackson won election to the North Carolina Supreme Court.[1]
Thigpen served as a special superior court judge from May 2008 until his appointment to the Court of Appeals. Previously, he was a partner in the law firm now known as Blue, Stephens & Fellers.
In 1999, he was elected president of the state bar – the first African-American to hold that post.
He has served as chairman of the board of trustees of North Carolina Central University, his alma mater, and has served on the board of trustees for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Judge Thigpen received his bachelor’s degree from NCCU in 1968 and his law degree from Rutgers University in 1973. He is a veteran of the Peace Corps.