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Office you seek

NC Court of Appeals

 

Date of birth

September 28, 1956

 

Occupation

Wake County District Court Judge

 

Address

PO Box 97994, Raleigh, NC  27624-7994

 

Web site/e-mail address

www.JudgeRuth.com

campaign@judgeruth.com

 

Education - Bachelor of Science, education, Kansas State University; Juris Doctor, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Campbell University

 

Elective experience

District Court Judge in Wake County, 1998 - present

 

Professional credentials (specialized training or experience)

North Carolina Real Estate License, 1986 (Inactive Status); Licensed to Practice Law in North Carolina, 1991; Licensed to Practice Law in Texas, 1992; 2003 ABWA Woman of the Year; Guest on Voice of America; Presenter at the 11^th Annual Crime Congress in Bangkok, Thailand; Presenter at the Conference on Restorative Justice in Winchester, England; 2000 Service of Excellence Award for the NCCSC; 2004 Commissioner's Judge of the Year Award; Recipient of approx. $285,000 in grants for court improvement; Member of the Chief Justice commission on Professionalism; Member of Governor Hunt's Commission on Fatherhood; Contributed Chapter entitled, "O' Yez! O' Yez! O' Yez!" in, "Life, Work and Money From A Woman's Perspective" an anthology for women. (2002); Contributed chapter entitled, "The Cookie" in "Rekindling the Human Spirit," an anthology on life lessons. (2003); Contributed to article, Ashton, J. (2006) Child support dockets benefit from uprising problem-solving court principle; Juvenile and Family Justice Today, 14 (4), 19-21; Ruth, K. (2006) Breaking the Cycle: Alternatives to incarceration lead to collections in Wake County, North Carolina, Child Support Report, 38 (1) 2.

 

Family

I am married to retired Lt. Col. John Preston Ruth, USMCR, who is also a retired American Airlines pilot. He is a native of Raleigh where his family owned and operated a plumbing company. His mother was a nurse at Wake Medical Center. We have one son, Kenan, age 14, who is in the 9^th grade. My husband coaches for our son's school baseball and basketball teams. We are active in our church in Apex. I grew up on a wheat farm in Kansas where I learned the value of hard work. In addition to farming, my father worked at the Post Office sorting mail and my mother taught school after finishing her college degree at 52 years old. My brother is a teacher and farmer in Kansas on the same farm that was homesteaded by my great grandfather in 1868. My father is also a WWII veteran and was a gunner on the B-17 aircraft.

 

Why have you chosen to run for this office?

I have 10 years of experience on the bench. We need judges on the Court of Appeals who have perspective and common sense that can only come from the broad experience that I bring. I know how the rulings from appeals courts affect regular folks who appear in courtrooms around the state every day. I want to write brief, clear and concise opinions. I take great satisfaction in public service and doing the right thing. I am fair, impartial, and a creative problem-solver. I will follow the law as written with no personal or political agenda. My decisions reflect thoughtful consideration and balance. This is what you want from your judges. This is what you deserve.

 

What about your training and experience most qualifies you for this position?

The majority of my time in Wake County District Court has been spent presiding in the courtroom designated for the enforcement of child support. This problem-solving court has been recognized in NC and nationally. We were just awarded a Federal Special Improvement Project (SIP) grant to replicate the problem-solving court as a national model for family courts hearing child support cases. The grant will allow me to provide innovative judicial education and to oversee further data analysis of our work. This grant is one of only four SIP grants awarded in 2008 to focus on collaborations between child support enforcement and the courts. My focus is on implementing alternatives to incarceration: to break cycle of court appearances by parents who fail to pay court-ordered child support, get contempt charges, get jail time, are released, and then typically resume nonpayment until required to return to court. This revolving-door dilemma is demoralizing for everyone. Instead, the problem-solving court promotes employment resources, utilizes electronic house arrest and mediation in the disposition of these cases. Results improve parental responsibility, and better address the needs of children. I have a solid academic record, record of hard work, no agenda - that's what you get with me.

 

What do you see as a particular strength of our court system?

The great strength of our court system lies in the people who serve the people every day. That includes elected officials, staff, clerks, case workers, attorneys, deputies, security and those who maintain and provide the services needed for the daily activities. Everyone must collaborate in order to provide our citizens with a forum for justice that exudes professionalism and confidence. 

 

Where does it fall short?

The system is chronically underfunded, especially for technology, staff, and additional judges needed to provide an efficient and effective judicial system. It is imperative that the judicial branch of government be funded sufficiently as the needs for more services increase with the population.

 

What can be done to help the public better understand the role of our appellate courts?

Our schools should teach students about the court system, beginning in the early grades. Focus would be on the importance of the judiciary and how the law is applied and interpreted has an impact on every individual. The Legislature passes laws; however, unless judges are fair and impartial and preside with no personal agenda, the best laws could be applied in favor of a few and not all people.

 

How can you make a distinct impact on the quality of decisions rendered by the court?

I bring my 10 years of judicial experience, hearing thousands of cases and being fair and impartial. Each decision has an immediate impact on the person or family involved, and I have focused on fashioning an effective and fair disposition of each case. Lawyers know that the case has been heard and considered thoughtfully and with care.

 

To what extent should judges or judicial candidates express their views about political and social issues of the day?

It is not appropriate, in my opinion, for judges to express their particular views and discuss issues that may come before the court. Citizens need to know that a decision will not be made on the personal opinion or the political agenda of a judge, but rather on the facts presented. A judge takes an oath when sworn in to office, to follow the law and the Constitution when rendering a decision. When judges express an opinion on an issue or have an agenda, public confidence in rendering a fair and impartial decision can be undermined.

 

Who would be the one current state or federal judge you most admire, and why?

I admire Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. As the first woman appointed to the US Supreme Court in 1981, she blazed a trail for all women and little girls. O'Connor grew up on a ranch and by the time she was 8 years old, she could drive, fire a rifle and ride horses. When she graduated third in her class from Stanford Law School in the 1950's, the only job she was offered was as a legal secretary. Her influential role on the Court stemmed from her knowledge of the law and her skill at building coalitions. Justice O'Connor had the ability and grace to approach each case on an individual basis - without a political agenda - to arrive at a practical decision.