The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the uncertified race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court

In a pivotal hearing in the North Carolina Supreme Court elections case, the lawyer representing the state Board of Elections faced a barrage of questions from a federal court of appeals judge about the appropriateness of calling back to federal court a case that the state Supreme Court had acted on.

A federal appeals panel argued with lawyers over the still-unresolved election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat.

Monday’s arguments will center on whether the case should be decided by state or federal courts — a decision which could be crucial in whether the results of the race are ultimately overturned.

Allison Riggs appears to have narrowly won her reelection race. But two of the justices who may decide the case have spouses who donated to her challenger.

Three judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, heard, among others, from attorneys for Democratic Justice Allison Riggs, trailing Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin and the State Board of Elections,