NC judge: No explanation for replacement in 'Leandro' case

A retired judge who has managed longstanding litigation on K-12 education spending in North Carolina says he’s received no direct explanation why he’s not handling the next portion of the case. Superior Court Judge David Lee has been overseeing the lawsuit called “Leandro” since late 2016. But this week state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby assigned special Superior Court Judge Mike Robinson to handle a review of Lee's recent decision ordering $1.75 billion be moved to government agencies for education. A state courts spokesperson says Lee had reached mandatory retirement age. But such older judges aren't completely barred from presiding over cases.