Name as it appears on the ballot: Kendra Montgomery-Blinn  

Age: 46 

Party affiliation: Democrat  

Campaign website: www.kendraforjudge.com 

Occupation & employer: Durham County District Court Judge  

1) Please tell us what in your record as a public official or private citizen demonstrates your  ability to be effective, fair, and impartial on the bench? Please be specific. What do you  believe qualifies you to serve as a district court judge? 

Governor Cooper appointed me to the bench in 2023 and I am running to retain my seat. My years of experience seeing the worst of the justice system through the Innocence Inquiry  Commission and the best of the justice system through my work with restorative justice have  given me a unique perspective that enables me to be fair and impartial.  

For eight years, I was the Executive Director of the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry  Commission. During that time, our work resulted in eight exonerations. We shone light on the  most grave mistakes made by the justice system. Errors, bias, tunnel vision, and rushed  processes resulted in innocent people locked away for decades. I strive to be a judge that  always upholds the high burdens of the law and due process because I know the disastrous  consequences of a rush to judgment. 

During my time as an Assistant District Attorney, I embraced restorative justice and  created a program for the DA’s Office. I personally represented the State through the first felony  case, and later the first homicide case, to undergo a formal restorative justice process in North  Carolina. People who work in the justice system have an obligation to continue to work to  change the system. As a judge, I do not believe that a cookie cutter approach is appropriate. I  work to carefully listen to the people who appear before me and find a resolution that can best  meet their needs within the guidelines of the law. 

2) How do you define yourself politically? How does that impact your judicial approach? 

I am progressive Democrat. Judges should be nonpartisan and apply the law without  favor or politics. The values that I hold deeply mean that I seek to understand the complexity of  each case before me and accept each litigant as a whole person with a lifetime of experiences  that influence their actions. I strive to make certain that each person who appears before me  has a chance to fully express what they consider important and that I genuinely listen to them  and consider their perspective. My rulings are carefully crafted for each case and not a one size-fits-all process. My goal is that each person leaving my courtroom understands the ruling  and knows that they were heard.  

3) What do you believe are the three most important qualities a judge must have to be an  effective jurist?

I believe that the most effective judges bring experience as a litigator, deep compassion,  and patience to the bench. Before my appointment as a judge, I had over two decades of  experience as a litigator serving as the Executive Director of the North Carolina Innocence  Inquiry Commission and a Special Victims Unit Lead Prosecutor. I am comfortable in the  courtroom and know the Rules of Evidence like a second language.  

My years working with innocent people who were wrongfully incarcerated and victims of  domestic violence, sexual assaults, and the families of homicide victims has instilled me with a  deep sense of compassion. My compassion allows for the complexity of each person and their  life experiences to be welcomed in the courtroom. As a judge I know that stepping into a  courtroom is often one of the worst experiences for people. Letting them know that they will be  respectfully listened to gives many people safety to express what matters most to them.  

I have a reputation as a patient judge who will take time for each person to be fully  heard. If someone has questions about the ruling or the next step, I try to make them feel safe  to ask and take the time to answer their questions to be certain that they understand before they  leave the courtroom. Listening patiently to someone, and seeking to understand them, is a way  to give respect.  

4) In a sentence, how would you define your judicial philosophy? 

A judge must follow the law and make difficult decisions, but seeing each person and  each case as unique allows room for compassion and consideration of non-traditional  approaches. 

5) Black North Carolinians are incarcerated at six times the rate of whites. How do you see  your responsibility as a judge in addressing racial inequity in the justice system? 

The judicial system relies upon an incorrect assumption that all parties are on equal footing. People are not seen as individuals with different skills and abilities. Instead, the expectation placed upon them mirrors the capabilities often possessed by only the most privileged. 

This inequity brings more Black people into the courthouse and sends more Black  people to incarceration or away from the civil courts without ever having been fully heard. For  example, a judge reviewing a probation violation may assume the probationer did not complete  their classes because of a choice rather than because of the barriers like costs, transportation,  or feeling that the program assigned to them was ineffective.  

As a judge, I will never forget the things that I have learned in my career. I spent eight  years leading the Innocence Inquiry Commission. During that time, we achieved eight  exonerations. Seven of those exonerees were Black men and racism played a role in the tunnel  vision that led to all of their wrongful convictions.  

As a Special Victims Unit prosecutor, I worked with crime victims who were mostly Black women and mothers. Black victims of domestic violence are more often turned away from charging and from protective orders because the way they have learned to mask their pain doesn’t fit with the court’s expectations of how a victim should “act.” The victims I worked with were often viewed as “angry” or discredited by the justice system.

As a judge, I will never forget that carelessness and bias lead to quick judgments that  can have the most horrible ramifications. My job is to address racial bias when I see it. My job is also to listen when I do not see bias, but another person does. I have attended many racial  equity trainings as a lawyer and a judge. I am always striving to learn more and listen to others  who are willing to teach.  

6) Do you believe the cash bail system is in need of reform? What changes do you believe  are necessary to ensure those accused of crimes are not incarcerated due to their  inability to afford bond? What factors do you consider when determining the bond  amount? 

Judges are required to follow the law set by the General Assembly when setting bail.  The purpose of bail/bond is to ensure a person returns to court and that the alleged crime victim  and community are safe. Bond is should not be used to punish or incarcerate someone.  

The factors I can consider when setting a bond include the person’s criminal record,  prior times failing to appear in court, potential danger to the alleged victim and the community, a  person’s ties to the community, and the individual’s ability to pay. Assessing a person’s ability to  pay a bond is an important part of attempting to be certain that the bond is appropriate for this  particular person.  

Durham is fortunate to have a robust Pre-Trial Services program as part of our county  funded Justice Resource Center. I rely heavily on this program because it gives me greater  information when I assess a bond request and often allows me to release many people to pre trial supervision without setting any secured bail/bond.  

7) Do you support restorative justice practices prior to sentencing? If so, how would you  seek to implement those practices in your capacity as a judge? Which types of cases do  you think should be eligible? 

While I was an Assistant District Attorney, I embraced the use of Restorative Justice  (RJ) in the criminal court system and created a RJ Program for the District Attorney’s Office. I  referred the first felony case in North Carolina, and later the first homicide case, through a  formal RJ process prior to sentencing.  

I believe that it is important to embrace different ways to find a more just outcome for  parties. As a Judge, I continue my openness to new ideas that allow litigants to be seen as whole people and have an opportunity to participate in a resolution that has the best chance of  helping each party heal and move forward productively. 

I believe the best restorative justice process has no automatic exclusions. A referral of  cases based on the facts of the case, the harm caused, and the desire of the parties should be  the criteria. As a judge, I have sought to expand the RJ program by making referrals in civil  cases to the excellent RJ Durham program.  

8) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes, such as low-level  drug offenses? Why or why not?

I am a District Court Judge, most of the cases involving mandatory minimum sentences  are handled in Superior Court and Federal Courts. As a judicial official, I am not able to further  answer this question under Cannon 3(A)(6) of the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct. 

9) Some district courts are implementing misdemeanor diversion programs for young  and/or first-time offenders. Do you believe programs like these are effective? 

I absolutely support diversion programs for young and first-time offenders as well as  expansion of diversion to older and repeat offenders. When I was a prosecutor, I was part of a  Durham pilot program through the Justice Resource Center expanding Durham’s Post-Arrest  Diversion Program to include people with prior criminal history of all ages. I referred many cases  to this program where services like substance use treatment, mental health treatment, cognitive  behavioral intervention, and restorative justice were offered to people who had often been  ignored by the justice system. Our results were striking with very little recidivism. I will always  support programs that seek to address the root cause of illegal behavior and help offenders,  crime victims, and communities heal.  

10) In many cases, voters know very little about the judges they are electing. Tell us  something about yourself that our readers may be surprised to learn. 

In my personal life, my volunteer efforts have primarily been around improving and  promoting public education and the safety of students. In 2014, I learned that a little girl died at  school in Virginia because she ingested a peanut, and she did not have a prescription EpiPen at  the school. I read that her family knew of her allergy but didn’t have the resources to purchase extra EpiPens for the school.  

I personally spearheaded a grassroots effort pulling together people across the state  who worked in the medical field and allergy awareness and took my cause to the General  Assembly. I drafted a bill myself and, after years of effort, the law was passed! All publicly  funded schools in North Carolina are now required to keep a set of undesignated EpiPens at the  school in the event that a child has a life-threatening allergic reaction. The picture of that  beautiful child from Virginia has never left my heart, but I am grateful that we passed the law in North Carolina before we had a child to name it after.