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Recent News
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‘Public Defense Day’ 2026
Today marks the 63rd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court landmark case of Gideon v. Wainwright. (See the Facts and Case Summary from www.uscourts.gov, and for more information click here.) […]
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IDS to Welcome New Regional Defender May 1
IDS is pleased to announce that Daniel Meier will join the IDS team as the new regional defender on May 1, 2026. Daniel comes to IDS from his law firm, […]
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IDS Commission to Meet February 20, 2026
The next quarterly IDS Commission meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in person. Location: Campbell University School of Law, Raleigh | Room 309 If […]
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NCBA Honors Cindy Black
Newly Retired Chief Public Defender Cynthia “Cindy” Black (Cumberland County) was honored at the 2025 North Carolina Bar Association annual awards dinner. The Criminal Justice Section of the NCBA awarded […]
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IDS welcomes Shonkyra Ridley as its newest administrative team member
Shonkyra Ridley was recently hired as the new IDS Administrative Assistant. Her start date was February 2, 2026. She replaces Lyn Turner, who recently retired. Ms. Ridley holds a B.A. […]
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Routten Reappointed as Chief Public Defender for District 1
Tommy Routten was recently reappointed to serve as the Chief Public Defender for District 1 (Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans) for another term. On December 15, 2025, the […]