Christan Routten | Chesapeake Criminal Defense Lawyer

Christan grew up in Smithfield, Virginia and graduated as Salutatorian of her class at Smithfield High School in 1997. She attended the University of Virginia and graduated With Distinction from the College of Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 2001. Christan then attended the University of Richmond School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctor and graduated Cum Laude in 2004. After passing the North Carolina Bar exam in the summer of 2004, Christan married Tommy Routten and moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She began her legal career in November of 2004 as one of the original attorneys in the newly formed Public Defender’s Office for the First Judicial District. Christan spent nineteen years as a Public Defender representing clients in the First and Second Judicial Districts on criminal matters ranging from traffic offenses to murder. She has gained invaluable trial and negotiation experience and developed personal and professional relationships with court personnel, including prosecutors, clerks, law enforcement officers, and attorneys, which have enriched her life and her legal career. In late 2023 Parks Zeigler P.L.L.C. offered Christan the opportunity to practice criminal law in a private firm setting in Northeastern North Carolina as part of the firm’s Elizabeth City office. Parks Zeigler gives Christan the ability to continue to help clients by utilizing her extensive experience in the Elizabeth City area and expanding as the firm extends its footprint in North Carolina.