“It goes to show the opioid crisis doesn’t know any boundaries and can touch any family,” he said.

Wake Forest Law professor Abby Perdue said courts at every level are prepared to handle the cases pending before a judge who has died. However, she said how they do that can vary from the federal to local level and whether the case is civil or criminal.

“In the sad and unfortunate circumstance of a judge passing way during the pendency of a case, other judges on the court will typically absorb the deceased judge’s caseload, familiarize themselves with the record, and proceed in a manner that will avoid unnecessary delay or expense for the parties or prejudice them in any way,” Perdue said.

Perdue said the federal courts have specific rules about what to do if a judge dies during a pending case but on the local level it can vary by courthouse.

A week after Jarrell’s death, Beasley appointed District Court Judge Teresa Vincent to replace Jarrell as chief judge. Vincent was a close friend of Jarrell’s who spoke at his funeral in front of thousands.

Next week, the Guilford County bars plan to nominate an attorney to take the open seat on the bench left after Jarrell’s death and Vincent’s elevation to chief judge. That nomination will go to Gov. Roy Cooper, who will make the appointment.

Contact Danielle Battaglia at 336-373-4476 and follow @dbattagliaNR on Twitter.​