Tonza D. Ruffin was sworn in as the inaugural Chief Public Defender for the new Defender District 7 on Monday, January 1, at the Northampton County Courthouse.
The Honorable Judge Cy A. Grant, Sr., Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for District 7B, administered the oath of office. Defender District 7 covers the counties of Bertie, Hertford, Northampton, and Halifax.
Ruffin is a native of Bertie County and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a minor in women’s studies from East Carolina University. A graduate of Georgia State University College of Law, she commenced her legal practice in North Carolina in 2000.
For the past 23 years, Ruffin has passionately advocated for the underserved, handling a diverse array of cases, ranging from capital murder and major felonies to misdemeanor offenses, minor traffic violations, and domestic matters.
Apart from her legal practice, Ruffin has contributed to legal education as a member of the faculty of the Felony Defender Trial School at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Death Penalty Litigation in Durham, North Carolina.
Ruffin is equally fervent about offering support to young individuals to prevent their involvement in the criminal justice system. She firmly believes that education, or its absence, significantly influences the rate of youth engagement in criminal activities. Consequently, she served on the Board of Directors for KIPP ENC.
Ruffin said, “I look forward to building a team dedicated to carrying forth the mission of the North Carolina Judicial Branch, helping to ‘protect and preserve the rights and liberties of all the people,’ as guaranteed by the North Carolina Constitution and laws of the United States and North Carolina.”