POUGHKEEPSIE – A 39-year-old Poughkeepsie man was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Dutchess County Court this week following a violent attack on a former intimate partner. DeJahn Ruffin received the sentence after pleading guilty to the violent felonies of attempted assault and assault, and a felony aggravated criminal contempt charge on April 21, 2026. Dutchess County Court Judge Jessica Segal sentenced Ruffin to 12 years in prison for the attempted assault, seven years for the assault, and 2 1/3 to seven years for the aggravated criminal contempt. The sentences will run concurrently, and he will also be required to serve five years of post-release supervision.
In April, Ruffin admitted in court that he violated an order of protection on October 23, 2025, on Harrison Street, while sitting in a car with his former intimate partner, who had been granted the order. While seated in the passenger seat, Ruffin attacked the woman who was in the driver’s seat, grabbing her by the hair and stabbing her several times in the neck, chest, torso, left arm, and both of her hands.
The victim was treated at MidHudson Regional Hospital and received sutures for her wounds.
said, “Intimate partner violence remains one of the most serious threats to the safety of victims in our community. This defendant not only violated an active order of protection but carried out a violent and sustained attack that could have easily resulted in death. The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the severity of these crimes and the danger posed by offenders who refuse to respect the law or the boundaries established to protect victims.”
The case was prosecuted by Unit Chief Angela LoPane. .
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