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Since his appointment to the N.C. Court of Appeals by Gov. Mike Easley last year, Judge John Arrowood has made a positive impact.

The court handles a heavy case­load, and Arrowood is a swift worker, insiders say. He's also sure, taking time to confer with colleagues to seek the benefit of their insights and reach consensus.

Arrowood, 51, was known as an outstanding lawyer in Charlotte dealing mostly with complex commercial litigation before serving a short stint as a Superior Court judge. He's quickly learned the ropes on criminal cases, sometimes livening opinions with phrases worthy of Mickey Spillane: "Reyes told Queen that he wanted crack cocaine and sex, and Queen promised to provide both," Arrowood recounted in State v. Thompson. And: "Queen judged Calfee to be insufficiently stalwart for a robbery."

Of course, these are serious cases, and Arrowood shows an earnest appreciation for the court's proper role: "We conclude that balancing the humanitarian, environmental and economic factors implicated by these issues is a task within the purview of the legislature and not the courts," he wrote with judicial restraint in another case.

Arrowood is opposed in the November election by Robert N. Hunter Jr., 61, a veteran Greensboro attorney described by colleagues as an exceptional lawyer who possesses a remarkable legal mind. He has represented the Republican Party and Republican politicians in political cases, including Trudy Wade in the long-contested 2004 Guilford County commissioners' race. His partisanship raises some concerns about impartiality on the bench, but Arrowood was a Democratic Party activist and he has left his politics at the courthouse door. Hunter has similar integrity. This race is nonpartisan and should be decided on qualifications alone. Arrowood already has proved he's a good fit.