September 2022 Newsletter

6

THE LEGAL BRIEF

VOLUME 40, ISSUE 4

(Continued from page 4) View from the Bench by Judge Sharonda Amamilo

So, I pursued Opportunity with purpose and focus on the mandate of CJC 2, Rule 2.5 because it is all connected. Here are some of the activities that allow me to presently give, learn, and grow.

April 2021 - National Judicial Network: Peer Forum on Human Trafficking and Immigration in State Courts (“ The Network ”) The Network Forums are intended to help judges learn more about these complicated issues and, consequently, improve access to justice for human trafficking and immigrant victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and other crimes. Specifically we discuss how to recognize signs of trafficking that we may not have noticed or known instinctively. August 2021 – 2024 Adult Sentencing Guidelines Commission – Governor ’ s Appointee I have spent my legal career in a multi - faceted, multi - pronged approach to systemic advocacy. I pursued this appointment because this Commission “ WORKS. ” This multi - disciplinary group includes knowledgeable and committed professionals from every entity touching the lives of those involved in the criminal justice system. Including, people with lived experience. The Sentencing Guidelines Commission (Commission) promotes accountability and equity in adult and juvenile sentencing, provides accurate and timely information about sentencing, and recommends improvements in the criminal justice system. March 2022 - SCJA Public outreach –Facilitator - Kitsap County Race and Equity Summit – Community Conversations with Law Enforcement. The forum included Chiefs of Police from the Cities of Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard, Bremerton, and Retired City of Seattle Chief Carmen Best. These Law Enforcement Leaders were accompanied by Civic Leaders and Representatives from Reentry programs serving the community. As a visiting facilitator, I presided over a 2 - hour Q & A session that built, bridges to future improvement in their system and community. They learned more about the parts of the whole and opened new lines of communication for progress in their community. June 2022 - Jail Standards Taskforce – RCW 70.48.801 – Legislative Appointee The purpose of the Task Force is to develop recommendations to ensure jail conditions meet state and federal constitutional and statutory standards and include adequate safety and welfare safeguards for incarcerated persons and staff. I realize that the safety goals of the victims, the community, and the alleged offender are best served by a system that endeavors to avoid adding unnecessary trauma. A system that is truly interested in the “ root of the problem. ” June 2022 - Family Welfare Community Collaborative – Removal & Placement Decisions Workgroup The Family Well - Being and Community Collaborative (FWCC) is a multi - disciplinary workgroup that is overseen by the Supreme Court ’ s Commission of Children in Foster Care. It is a diverse group of committed stakeholders with common goals, a shared vision, and a commitment to action that will be essential to making real change in the child dependency court system. The Removal & Placement Decisions Workgroup is tasked with designing a rigorous process for assessing the need for removal from a family of origin. The Law and Justice System is complex, and any one part is as good or bad as an individual ’ s experience. It is a prism of innumerable facets intersecting with each other and if I am to meet the expectations of those I serve, I must try to understand the impact of each and every part – I must strive for more knowledge, more perspective, and more learning.

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