News

EHHS grad is first Public Defender in Piedmont county

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 21, 2024

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Thomas H. Lock of North Carolina’s Judicial District 13 appointed A. Traynham Dorn as the first Public Defender in Johnston County effective July 1.

The daughter of Argyll Dorn and the late Haynes Dorn of Flat Rock, Traynham graduated with honors from East Henderson High School and went on to attend Queens College on a Presidential Scholarship, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in 2000. She earned her law degree from New England School of Law in Boston.

Admitted to practice in North Carolina in 2003, Dorn has defended people charged with traffic offenses, DWI, drug offenses, misdemeanors and felonies in Wake and Johnston counties. She has used a community-focused approach through working with indigent clients and serving as a Guardian ad Litem.

“I am excited to appoint Traynham Dorn as Public Defender for Johnston County,” Judge Lock said. “She has tried cases in both the Superior and District courts of our county for a number of years, and she has proven herself to be a zealous advocate for her clients. She is highly respect by the Bar and court personnel, and I am confident she will excel in her new position.”