About Kendra Montgomery-Blinn
Kendra was appointed to the bench in July 2023 by Governor Cooper after a nomination process by the Durham County Bar. Governor Cooper noted, “Kendra Montgomery-Blinn brings years of legal experience to the bench. I am confident she will continue her strong service to the people of Durham County in this new role.” Kendra was elected to the position by the people of Durham in November 2024 and is proudly serving a four-year term.
Over Two Decades of Experience
Kendra Montgomery-Blinn has been a lawyer in Durham for over two decades. She earned her law degree with honors from Duke Law before going on to serve as the first Executive Director of the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. She led the agency in eight exonerations of men who were declared innocent and released from prison.
Later, Kendra Montgomery-Blinn served as an Assistant District Attorney in Durham and led the Special Victims Unit. She prosecuted homicide, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse cases. Since her appointment by Governor Cooper, Judge Kendra Montgomery-Blinn has been presiding in Durham over district courts. She has attended special judicial training and is working towards her juvenile court judicial certification.
Judge Montgomery-Blinn believes that there is always room for compassion in the legal system. She makes sure that unrepresented people understand what is happening in court and carefully listens to everyone who appears before her.
As an attorney, Kendra Montgomery-Blinn created a Restorative Justice process for the Durham Criminal Courts and led the effort by shepherding the first felony, and later, the first homicide case in North Carolina through a formal restorative justice process. This work was recently featured in The Guardian.
Restorative Justice gives a voice to victims of crime while allowing an offender to be seen as a whole person. It is an important way to incorporate compassion into the existing court system.
Bringing Compassion to our Courts
Commitment to Community
Kendra Montgomery-Blinn and her husband have lived in Durham for 24 years and are parents of two teenagers. They are proud to be active members of the Durham community.
As a Judge, Kendra works extremely hard. She prepares in advance for court by studying the case files and the law. She has brought significant trial experience and deep knowledge of the law to the bench.