Candidate Biography (submitted by campaign):

Kristin Ruth has been a district court judge in Wake County for ten years.  In recent years, she has spent the majority of her time presiding in the courtroom designated for the enforcement of child support.  Judge Ruth has been instrumental in implementing alternatives to incarceration and promoting employment resources, electronic house arrest and mediation in the disposition of her cases.

In 2000 Judge Ruth was awarded the North Carolina Child Support Council’s Distinguished Service of Excellence Award; in 2003 she received the national title of the American Business Woman of the Year from the American Business Women’s Association; and in 2004 Judge Ruth was awarded the Commissioner’s Judge of the Year Award, presented to her by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement in Washington, DC.  Judge Ruth is a frequent speaker, at the state and national level, on the use of problem-solving courts in addressing challenging child support issues.

Judge Ruth currently serves on the board for Carolina Dispute Settlement Services, Carolina Correctional Services, National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Federal Child Support Task Force and was previously a member of the Chief Justice’s Commission for Professionalism.

Judge Ruth grew up on a wheat farm in Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University.  While working her way through school for American Airlines, she earned her law degree from Campbell University. Judge Ruth was the senior partner in her law firm for seven years before being elected to the bench in 1998.  She is married to Lt. Col. John Preston Ruth, USMCR and they have one son, Kenan, age 13.

Ten years as a trial judge have prepared me for the appellate bench, where I can draw on my experience and understanding of how appellate decisions are applied in courtrooms every day.  I know how an opinion from the appellate courts can affect the lives of individuals and families when it comes to decisions being applied in our trial courts.  While I have received awards for using an innovative, problem-solving approach to child support enforcement, the vast majority of what trial judges do is governed by the rulings of our Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. 

We need appellate judges who know how their decisions will impact the way cases are handled at the trial court level.  Each case at the trial court level is important in its own right; each decision at the appellate level can impact thousands of cases in the trial courts, and should be decided with an appreciation of the trial process in mind.

My approach has been to focus on judging effectively as well as efficiently.  The purpose of our courts is not to simply move cases, but to truly adjudicate cases in a way that promotes clarity in the law.  My goal is to carefully examine each case and give thoughtful consideration to each decision.  I am fair and impartial and follow the law as written, and I believe my decisions reflect thoughtful consideration and balance. 

I have been endorsed by teachers, community groups, lawyer organizations and others.  I believe that my life and judicial experiences have provided me the foundation needed to be a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and I truly hope that you will find me to be the candidate of choice for you.  I wholeheartedly ask for your support.