The Honorable Kristin H. Ruth is a district court judge in Wake County, Raleigh, North Carolina. Judge Ruth is now currently in her third term and has concentrated 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 promotes employment resources, electronic house arrest and mediation in the disposition of her cases.

» Read what’s been written about Judge Ruth’s problem-solving approach.

In 2000, Judge Ruth was awarded the North Carolina Child Support Council’s Distinguish Service of Excellence Award, in 2003 she received the national American Business Woman of the Year for 2003 by the American Business Women’s Association, and in 2004, Judge Ruth was awarded the Commissioner’s Judge of the Year Award presented by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement in Washington, DC.

She currently serves on the board for Carolina Dispute Settlement Services, Carolina Correctional Services, and a member of the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Federal Child Support Task Force and recently completed a three-year term on the Chief Justice’s Commission for Professionalism.

Judge Ruth grew up on a wheat farm in Kansas, graduated from Kansas State University and while working as a flight attendant for American Airlines earned her law degree from Campbell University in North Carolina. While in law school, Judge Ruth participated in a summer service and study tour of Guatemala.

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.

Judge Ruth is the author of "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!" in the book Life, Work and Money from a Woman’s Perspective, which chronicles a day in her life as a district court judge.