U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon of U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

 

4/11/2023

U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania 

c/o Joseph F. Weis Jr. U.S. Courthouse

700 Grant Street

Pittsburgh, PA  15129

Dear U.S. District Judge Bissoon,

My name is Matt Winick, an Asian American from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in learning history, social justice, and criminal justice reform. 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 Bissoon, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania  to be very inspiring to me. 

In October 2011, I was amazed on how you made history on becoming the first Asian American and Hispanic female to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. In your current role as U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, I truly appreciate 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 crimes to help protect minorities including people who are different, and expressing the need to reduce racial profiling in the judicial system. Supporting drug treatment programs to help drug users get the care they need to reduce drug abuse, expanding the court resources to help victims of crime including victims of domestic violence get help on dealing with their trauma, and expressing while supporting the need for funds to improve forensic science including DNA testing to help solve evidence including cases efficiently while reduce sending an innocent person to jail is common sense for criminal justice reform. Also on criminal justice reform, I like on how you address the need for better mental health services to help people who struggle with mental illness to get help instead of strict sentencing and support the idea of social workers to be on call with law enforcement to reduce tensions. Another thing that I like about your work in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania is how you are a strong supporter of protecting civil liberties from being violated like the 4th amendment to help protect people from unreasonable searches. Also I like on how you are an advocate for the need to help the Asian American community and Hispanic community like supporting disabilities’ rights, expanding the need for laws to combat against hate crimes to help protect them including other minorities, and many others. 

U.S. District Judge Bissoon, 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 in different settings, 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. I watched on Youtube “Judge Cathy Bissoon Never Let Circumstances Limit Her.” I really enjoyed watching the Youtube video because I really like learning a little bit about your early life, how you worked hard to overcome different challenges to get an education including fitting into society, and sharing your experience on being a minority in the law including the judicial career. Also in the video I like on how you shared some of your approach on different things like compassion, critical thinking, and working on different ideas to solve some problems.  Your role as current U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania helps give me motivation to continue to learn history, social justice, and criminal justice reform. My future goal is to someday 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. the different approaches that you explained in the youtube video helps me work on developing or expanding or improving on skills like compassion, critical thinking, and being creative at finding different methods to a problem. 

I strongly believe that you making a great difference for society including the judicial system. I’m very proud on how you are working hard to support civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights and push along with advocate for criminal justice reform. You truly inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn more about your work, try my best to use the skills that you mentioned to improve myself, and be confident about being an Asian American with a disability.  The YouTube video that you were in was inspirational. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me. If I visit Pittsburgh, I would like to meet you in your chambers because you truly inspire me. Please continue to advocate and push for common sense ideas.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick