Section 135-56 - Creditable service(a) Subject to such rules and regulations as the Board of Trustees shall adopt with regard to the verification of a judge's prior service, the prior service of a judge shall consist of his service rendered prior to January 1, 1974, as a justice of the Supreme Court, judge of the Court of Appeals, judge of the superior court, judge of the district court division of the General Court of Justice, as administrative officer of the courts, or as a solicitor or district attorney.(b) Repealed by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-g, eff. 6/20/2024.(b1) Recodified by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-a-b, eff. 6/20/2024. (c) On and after January 1, 1984, the creditable service of a member who was a member of the former Uniform Solicitorial or Uniform Clerks of Superior Court Retirement Systems at the time of merger of those Systems into this Consolidated Judicial Retirement System and whose accumulated contributions are transferred from those Systems to this System, includes service that was creditable in the Uniform Solicitorial and Uniform Clerks of Superior Court Retirement Systems; and membership service with those Retirement Systems is membership service with this Retirement System.(d) Repealed by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-g, eff. 6/20/2024. (d1) Recodified by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-d, eff. 6/20/2024.(e) Repealed by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-g, eff. 6/20/2024.(e1) Recodified by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-b, eff. 6/20/2024. (f) The creditable service of a member who was a member of the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System, the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, or the Legislative Retirement System and whose accumulated contributions and reserves are transferred from that System to this System, includes service that was creditable in the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System, the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, or the Legislative Retirement System, and membership service with those Retirement Systems is membership service with this Retirement System.(g) If a member who has not vested in this System on July 1, 2007, is convicted of an offense listed in G.S.135-75.1 for acts committed after July 1, 2007, then that member shall forfeit all benefits under this System. If a member who has vested in this System on July 1, 2007, is convicted of an offense listed in G.S.135-75.1 for acts committed after July 1, 2007, then that member is not entitled to any creditable service that accrued after July 1, 2007, regardless of whether that creditable service was earned by virtue of membership in the System, accrued by conversion of sick leave at the point of the member's retirement, accrued by transfer of service from another retirement system, purchased by the member in accordance with this Chapter, or accrued by any other means. No member shall forfeit any benefit or creditable service earned from a position not as a justice, judge, district attorney, or clerk of superior court. For purposes of this subsection, creditable service attributable to the conversion of sick leave accrues in this System on the date of retirement, service transferred to this System from another system accrues in this System on the effective date of the transfer, and purchased service accrues in this System on the date of the purchase.(h) On and after July 1, 2007, the creditable service of a member who was a public defender and a member of the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System at the time of transfer of membership from the previous system to this System shall include service as a public defender that was creditable in the previous system immediately prior to July 1, 2007. The accumulated contributions, creditable service, and reserves, if any, of a member as a public defender shall be transferred from the previous system to this System in the same manner as prescribed under G.S.135-28.1 as it pertained to judges of the district court division of the General Court of Justice.(i) On and after July 1, 2008, the creditable service of a member who is the Director of Indigent Defense Services and a member of the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System at the time of transfer of membership from the previous system to this System shall include service as the Director of Indigent Defense Services beginning July 1, 2004, that was creditable in the previous system immediately prior to July 1, 2008. The accumulated contributions, creditable service, and reserves, if any, of a member as the Director of Indigent Defense Services beginning July 1, 2004, shall be transferred from the previous system to this System in the same manner as prescribed under G.S.135-28.1 as it pertained to judges of the district court division of the General Court of Justice.(j) If a member who is in service and has not vested in this System on December 1, 2012, is convicted of an offense listed in G.S.135-75.1A for acts committed after December 1, 2012, then that member shall forfeit all benefits under this System, except for a return of member contributions plus interest. If a member who is in service and has vested in this System on December 1, 2012, is convicted of an offense listed in G.S.135-75.1A for acts committed after December 1, 2012, then that member is not entitled to any creditable service that accrued after December 1, 2012, regardless of whether that creditable service was earned by virtue of membership in the System, accrued by conversion of sick leave at the point of the member's retirement, accrued by transfer of service from another retirement system, purchased by the member in accordance with this Chapter, or accrued by any other means. For purposes of this subsection, creditable service attributable to the conversion of sick leave accrues in this System on the date of retirement, service transferred to this System from another system accrues in this System on the effective date of the transfer, and purchased service accrues in this System on the date of the purchase.(k) Creditable service may be purchased in accordance with G.S. 135-56.5, or as otherwise provided for in this Article.Amended by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 14-b, eff. 6/20/2024.Amended by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-g, eff. 6/20/2024.Amended by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-d, eff. 6/20/2024.Amended by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-b, eff. 6/20/2024.Amended by 2024 N.C. Sess. Laws 10,s. 12-a, eff. 6/20/2024.Amended by 2021 N.C. Sess. Laws 57, s. 3.2-b, eff. 1/1/2022.Amended by 2021 N.C. Sess. Laws 57, s. 3.2-a, eff. 1/1/2022.Amended by 2021 N.C. Sess. Laws 57, s. 3.1, eff. 1/1/2022.Amended by 2020 N.C. Sess. Laws 48, s. 4.4-f, eff. 6/26/2020.Amended by 2020 N.C. Sess. Laws 48, s. 4.4-e, eff. 6/26/2020.Amended by 2020 N.C. Sess. Laws 29, s. 1-e, eff. 6/19/2020.Amended by 2020 N.C. Sess. Laws 29, s. 1-d, eff. 6/19/2020.Amended by 2012 N.C. Sess. Laws 193, s. 6, eff. 12/1/2012.Amended by 2008 N.C. Sess. Laws 107, s. 26.24.(h), eff. 7/1/2008.Amended by 2007 N.C. Sess. Laws 323, s. 28.21B.(h), eff. 7/1/2007.Amended by 2007 N.C. Sess. Laws 179, s. 4.(b), eff. 7/1/2007.Amended by 2003 N.C. Sess. Laws 0284, s. 30.18.(f), eff. 1/1/2004. 1973 , c. 640, s. 1; 1977 , c. 936; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1031, ss. 14, 15; 1985 , c. 649, s. 1; 1989 , c. 255, s. 21 (a); 1999-237, s. 28.24(c).