U.S. District Judge Florence Y. Pan of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

 

5/06/2022

U.S. District Judge Florence Y. Pan

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

c/o E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse

333 Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C.  20001

Dear U.S. District Judge Pan,

My name is Matt Winick, an Asian American from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in learning history, criminal justice reform, and social justice. In these subjects, I like to learn the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, have criminal justice reform to help protect people’s rights while reduce crime, and many others. U.S. District Judge Pan, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work when you served as Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and as current U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to be very inspiring to me. 

When you served as Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 2009-2021, I truly appreciated on how you were a strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights, pushing for strict sentencing for people who commit hate crime to help protect minorities including people who are different, and expressing the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination. Supporting drug treatment programs to help drug users get the care they need to reduce drug abuse and heavily advocate for the need for better funds for DNA testing including forensic science to help solve evidence including cases efficiently while reduce sending an innocent person to jail is common sense for criminal justice reform. In September 2021 I was amazed on how you made history on becoming the first Asian American woman to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In your current role as U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, I like on how you are a continuous supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights and criminal justice reform.  Another thing that I like about your work on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is how you are a strong supporter of protecting civil liberties like the fourth amendment to help protect people from unreasonable searches and express the need for ethics reform to reduce judicial misconduct including police misconduct to reduce corruption.  Also I like on how you use your role as an Asian American to help advocate including support Asian Americans rights including Asian American with disabilities’ rights, express the need for funds to help repair the Asian American community including their businesses, emphasize the need for educational awareness about Asian American culture including history, and many others. 

U.S. District Judge Pan, I have autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased.  Your commitment to be a strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability.   Also being an Asian American with a disability is difficult for me because some Asians including some Asian Americans tease me including get judgmental about me being different from them.  Your continuous commitment to be a strong supporter of the Asian community and advocate for Asian American with disabilities’ rights gives me some inspiration to continue to be proud to be an Asian American when I face struggles in fitting in.  Your role as  former Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and as current U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia   helps give me motivation to continue to learn history, criminal justice reform, and social justice.  My future goal is to work in these areas to help emphasize the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, have criminal justice reform to help protect people’s rights while reduce crime, and many others.  My letter is a gift to you for inspiring me and for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month to recognize Asian Americans who work hard to make a great difference. 

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference in the judicial system. I’m very proud on how you are working hard to support civil rights, push along with advocate for criminal justice reform, continue to help the Asian American community, and many others. You truly inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn more about your work, continue to learn different subjects,  and to be confident about being an Asian American when there are challenges. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference,  and inspiring me. I would like to meet you because you inspire me and your work is very inspirational to me. Please continue to advocate and push for common sense ideas to improve the judicial system. If I visit Washington D.C.  I would like to meet you because you inspire me. 

Sincerely,

Matt Winick