U.S. District Judge Rita Lin of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

 

7/02/2024

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

c/o Phillip Burton Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse

450 Golden Gate Avenue

San Francisco, CA  94102

Dear U.S. District Judge Lin,

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, expand on social justice to improve communities, and many others. U.S. District Judge Lin, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work when you served as Judge of the San Francisco County Superior Court and as current U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to be very inspiring to me.

When you served as Judge of the San Francisco County Superior Court from 2018-2023, 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 crimes to help protect minorities including people who are different, and expressing the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination.  Supported drug treatment programs to help drug users get the care they need to reduce drug abuse, expanded on resources to help victims of crime including victims of domestic violence get help on dealing with their trauma, and pushing along with expressing the need for funds for DNA testing including forensic science to help solve evidence or 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 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 October 2023, I was amazed on how you made history on becoming the first Chinese American woman to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. In your current role as  U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California  I like on how you are a continuous strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights and criminal justice reform. Another thing that I like about your work in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is how  you support continuing to protect civil liberties from being violated like 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 many others.

U.S. District Judge Lin, I have autism with a learning disability.  Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advanced 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 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 San Francisco County Superior Court and as current U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California helps give me motivation to continue to learn history, social justice, and criminal justice reform. Also your story about having a hearing disability and how you are working hard to overcome different challenges with a disability is inspiring to me.  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, expand on social justice to improve communities, 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 rights including people with disabilities’ rights, push along with advocate for criminal justice reform, and expand on civil liberties. You truly inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn more about your work in your judicial career, be confident about being an Asian American with a disability, and continue to learn different things. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me. Please continue to make a great impact with common sense ideas in the judicial system.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick