Ameshia Cooper Chester was born and raised in Durham, NC, and was educated in the Durham Public School System. She received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Small Business and Entrepreneurship from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2010 and a Juris Doctor in 2013 from Charlotte School of Law. During her time at Charlotte Law, Ameshia discovered her passion for justice and litigation.
Ameshia is employed as a Special Deputy Attorney General with the North Carolina Department of Justice. There she prosecutes violations of North Carolina’s tax law on behalf of the North Carolina Department of Revenue and represents the State in criminal appellate cases. Before taking on this role, Ameshia advised and litigated on behalf of the two agencies that certify law enforcement in our state, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission and the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. She also represented the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission in this role and litigated on their behalf in cases that were appealed to Superior Court. She is the intern supervisor for the Special Prosecutions and Law Enforcement Section and is a member of DOJ’s hiring committee. Ameshia also assists with facilitating the African American Safe Space at DOJ, an initiative of the Department’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Ameshia served the people of Durham County as a Felony Prosecutor. As an Assistant District Attorney at the Durham County District Attorney’s Office, she ushered victims of crime through the criminal justice system with compassion and ensured that persons charged with crime were provided the rights afforded to them by law and the dignity they required as human beings.
Ameshia serves her community in numerous capacities. She is a life-long member of Union Baptist Church, regularly volunteers with the Durham County Teen Court and Restitution Program and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Psi Gamma Omega Chapter.