Meet the Candidate: Kendra Montgomery-Blinn
The District 14 judge’s seat is up for election in 2024, with a potential primary in March.
She’s only been on the job for a couple of months, but already District Judge Kendra Montgomery-Blinn is gearing up for the 2024 election. Montgomery-Blinn was appointed to succeed Shamieka Rhinehart, who was promoted to Superior Court by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.
On Dec. 4, the filing process kicks off for the 2024 election season. Montgomery-Blinn intends to file and already has launched her campaign website. Early voting for the primary would start on Feb. 15.
Southpoint Access asked Montgomery-Blinn to answer five questions for our readers. The same forum is offered to other candidates who might choose to run for office – particularly those who might affect the lives of readers in South Durham.
What qualifications brought you to the bench?
Kendra Montgomery-Blinn: I was appointed by Governor Cooper to fill the vacancy on the District Court bench when Judge Shamieka Rhinehart moved from District to Superior Court after the mid-term retirement of Judge Orlando Hudson. When he appointed me, Governor Cooper said it was because of my career-long commitment to public service work and the deep experience that I bring with me to the bench.
Two decades ago, I started my career in the Durham District Attorney’s Office where I worked in all of the District Court criminal courtrooms. In 2007, I became the Executive Director of the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. During my time leading the Commission, eight men were exonerated and released from prison for crimes they did not commit. I have seen firsthand where small errors in the justice system can lead to the ultimate travesty of a wrongful conviction. As a Judge, I will protect due process rights at every stage of a proceeding and never allow shortcuts to take the place of proper procedure.
In 2015, I returned to the Durham District Attorney’s Office and ultimately led the Office’s Special Victims Unit. I worked closely with victims of violent crimes and families of homicide victims. I have built a career shaped by significant trial experience. It is critical that judges who preside over hearings and trials have practiced in the courtrooms and know the rules of evidence like a second language.
I am especially proud of my work to bring restorative justice to the Durham County criminal courts. In 2017, I worked with RJ Durham to move the first felony case in North Carolina through a formal restorative justice process. Later, I helped lead the first homicide case in North Carolina through the process. Restorative Justice allows both victims and offenders to be seen by the court system as whole people. It gives crime victims an opportunity to think carefully about what could make them more whole than what can usually be offered by the traditional court process. As a Judge, I continue to work to genuinely listen to all who appear before me. I know that one solution does not work for everyone.
You can learn more about restorative justice and the first homicide case in this article from The Guardian.
Can you explain your judicial philosophy?
Montgomery-Blinn: Judges will tell you that it takes years to build a judicial philosophy. What I am working towards is taking the time to genuinely see each person who enters my courtroom as a unique person. It is easy for people who work in the court system to fall into a machine-like routine. For many people, walking into a courtroom is overwhelming and nerve-wracking. I work to make sure they are not rushed and that I listen carefully to everything they think is important. If someone is entering into a legal agreement, I review it carefully with them and make sure that they understand the next steps they must take. I want everyone who appears before me to know that they were heard and to understand what happened when they were in the courtroom.
People now call me “your honor,” but it is my honor to have the privilege of serving in this role. That means that I take my job very seriously and work hard. I read all of the files in advance for juvenile abuse, neglect, and dependency court. Some cases take many years to work through the court process and I believe it is my duty to read all the prior portions of the case file even if it requires evenings and weekends at the office. I will always work hard and give this job the very best that I have.
How do you balance the role of independent judge and elected official?
Montgomery-Blinn: It is a tricky situation to be both an independent judicial official and a candidate running for office who is seeking campaign donations. North Carolina Judges abide by a strict code of conduct that I review regularly. I also seek advisory opinions from the Judicial Standards Commission before I take any action that is not clearly defined by our code of conduct. For example, I reached out to Judicial Standards on Friday because I was asked to write a letter of support for a local non-profit that was seeking grant funding. I was able to receive advance approval and be certain that I was in full compliance with my obligation to uphold the independence of the judiciary.
What are the greatest challenges we face in the local justice system?
Montgomery-Blinn: I believe the judicial system ultimately needs significant reforms in order to achieve more just outcomes. Greater minds than mine are working on what a new judicial system could look like. In the meantime, we have a duty to continue to improve services now.
The judicial system has grown so large that it often operates with efficient indifference. This efficiency means that people are viewed as numbers rather than unique individuals. We can serve people in criminal and civil courts better if we recognize them as unique individuals with unique needs. Breaking the machinery of the justice system is not an easy task, but I feel we have begun to show that a better way can be achieved with restorative justice, diversion, and family mediation practices.
One small and manageable change that we can work towards in Durham is better services for victims, defendants, and civil litigants who need translation. Our entire courthouse has only one full-time Spanish interpreter who is expected to cover all of the criminal and civil courts. People in need of translation are often required to wait hours longer than English speakers to have their cases heard. For people who need an interpreter other than Spanish, requests must be made in advance and often we resort to a language line to provide phone interpretation. This is not equal access to justice. I believe that Durham could do better. The funding for court interpretation comes from the statewide administrative office of the courts, but I encourage our community to supplement the budget or advocate for additional interpretation services.
How will you ensure equality for all in your courtroom?
Montgomery-Blinn: The first step to working towards equality is to recognize that inequality exists. The second step is recognizing that most of us cannot see all of the inequality right in front of us. I must guard myself against the bias to see others’ perspectives through my own experiences. My goal as a judge is to genuinely listen to people and respect their assessment about what they need, be they a civil litigant, a parent, a defendant, or a victim of crime.
Many people do not feel safe in the justice system to relay their needs to a lawyer or a judge. It is easy to write someone off as being disinterested or disrespectful when they may actually be scared or wary.
A judge must remember that none of the proceedings are personal to them or to impose their own experiences on others.
When I see inequality, I will work to right it. I will make sure that a litigant has access to language services, court-appointed attorneys, and community support. I will continue to learn and grow and build my ability to see inequality and listen to others who are willing to share their experiences.
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