U.S. District Judge Meredith Vacca of U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York

8/30/2024

U.S. District Judge Meredith Vacca

U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York

c/o Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building

100 State Street

Rochester, NY  14614

Dear U.S. District Judge Vacca,

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 Vacca, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work when you served as Judge of the Monroe County Court and as current U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York to be very inspiring to me.

When you served as Judge of the Monroe County Court from 2021-2024, I truly appreciated on 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, and heavily advocated for the need to make 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, expanding court resources to help victims of crime or victims of domestic violence get help on dealing with their trauma, and expressing along with supporting the need for funds for better improvements in DNA testing including forensic science to help solve evidence along with cases efficiently top help reduce sending an innocent person to jail is common sense for criminal justice reform. Also on criminal justice reform, I like on how you express the need for mental health court to help people with mental illness to get treatment and advocate for the importance of community services to help non-violent offenders including non violent juveniles to rehabilitate so they won’t re-offend.  In July 2024, 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 Western District of New York. In your current role as U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, I like on how you are a continuous strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights and pushing for criminal justice reform. Another thing that I like about your work in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York  is how you are a strong supporter of protecting civil liberties like protecting the 4th amendment to help protect people from unreasonable searches, 6th amendment to for the person accused of a crime know what charges or evidence is against them, and strongly advocate for ethics reform to help reduce corruption including judicial misconduct in the court system.  

U.S. District Judge Vacca,  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 along with be an advocate for 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 when some Asians including some Asian American tease me or get judgmental about not meeting their standards.   Your role as an Asian American role model on supporting Asian American with disabilities’ rights gives me some confidence about being an Asian American when I face challenges. Your role as former Judge of the Monroe County Court and as current U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York  gives motivates me to continue to learn history, criminal justice reform, and  social justice. Also to mention is I enjoy listening to you talk about the need for criminal justice reform to reduce racial injustice, help protect innocent people from facing wrongful conviction, the importance of helping people with disabilities or people who struggle with mental health, and many others.  My future goal is to someday work in these areas to help emphasize the need to make Civil Rights stronger to reduce discrimination, have criminal justice reform to help people’s rights while reduce crime, and many others.

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 Right including people with disabilities’ rights  and push for criminal justice reform.  I was wondering if you could please share with me on some of your thoughts on serving on the judicial career. If I visit Rochester, New York I would like to meet you because you truly inspire me with your work and you help inspire me to work hard on my disability.  Also I was wondering if you could share with me on what it is like serving in the judicial system. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me.  I wish you the best to continue to make a great impact on society.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick