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It was an early fall evening when the light lingered in the promise of chilly weather. My brother and I escaped the schoolbus and ran down the hill to our family home as fast as we could. I was in 3rd grade so 7 years old. My 5-year-old brother was in 1st grade. The house […]
The world has changed, as it inevitably does, and we are challenged with moving into a “new normal” rather than clinging to delusions about yesteryear. No, I’m not talking about COVID-19. I’m talking about Pridefest in Pittsburgh. Once upon a time, activist and wise man Jim Fischerkeller shared with me his belief that Pride moves […]
[W]e do not acknowledge poverty and lack of opportunity as a significant contributing cause worthy of diversion. I believe that poverty and lack of opportunity are the greatest contributing causes to criminal behavior. Our diversion programs need to be expanded to include individuals who are affected by these significant underlying contributing causes. This is the […]
While I can say they had their moments, it is more accurate to state that my mother and grandmothers were not cut out to have or raise children. Mostly, this is not their fault but the consequence of being surrounded by traumatized, abusive men and cold parents of their own. Mother’s Day like too many […]
Presently, on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, only 30% of judges are women; only four judges are people of color; only one judge is a woman of color and only two judges openly identify at LGBTQ. With nine open seats, we are at a moment in time where we can change how the […]
Choose people who have demonstrated, throughout their careers, a dedication to the work that you feel is important and empathy and compassion for those who are impacted by the legal system. Candidates who have demonstrated a willingness to be involved in discussions about ways to improve the legal system, those who have been of service […]
I’ve been working on developing a glossary to be used across Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services, the Courts, and DHS-contracted service providers. The glossary is nearing completion and had been developed utilizing gender inclusive and gender neutral language throughout the glossary. It is critically important for judges to recognize the importance of word choice […]
But from that experience comes a perspective that can only benefit those that might come before me as Magistrate: I’ll approach each person as more than their worst day or worst choice or most shameful story. I know first hand that we are all more than any one of those things and we deserve a […]
Let’s re-imagine public safety with a heavy emphasis on mental health and substance use response teams who have many years of school to understand how to evaluate and de-escalate, and how to encourage ongoing treatment for those who need it. We make police do this now. It doesn’t work. We will have more and more […]
Today marks one year since Lyndsey Sickler and I spoke the Pittsburgh MasQue ProjecT into existence. Dramatic, perhaps. But this year has taught me that it is up to us to save ourselves. We are the calvary. Mainstream institutions haven’t shown up or acknowledged the realities of our lives during the pandemic, especially media outlets […]
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