Associate Justice Christine M. Durham of Utah Supreme Court

7/19/2016

Associate Justice Christine M. Durham

c/o Utah Supreme Court

P.O. Box 140210

Salt Lake City, UT  84114-0210

Dear Associate Justice Durham,

My name is Matthew Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in studying history, criminal justice, and public policy. In these subjects I like to learn the need to advance on Civil Rights to help protect people who are different from being discriminated, have checks and balances in the criminal justice system, and many others. The main reason I’m writing you a letter is because I find your work as an Associate Justice to the Utah Supreme Court to be very inspiring to me.

In your current role as Associate Justice in the Utah Supreme Court, I liked on how you support for the need to make Civil Rights stronger to help protect women, minorities, and people with disabilities from being discriminated. Also I like on how you are an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights and support the need to protect women’s right to choose from being weakened.  Another thing is I am very proud on how you use your role as an Associate Justice to be a leader of Coalition for Civics, Character, and Service Learning to create a partnership between civic organizations, public education, the judicial branch, and the legal profession to find ways to improve learning about the judicial system in public schools.  Working with different organizations to find ways to improve learning about how the judicial system works, understanding different judicial system terms or definition, and learning how criminal justice reform can help make the judicial system better for people including people who are different are great ways to help make education better and help people learn more about how the system works.  When you also served on the America Law Institute I was amazed on how you worked hard to express the need to reform the criminal justice system like expand programs to help victims of domestic violence or sexual assaults get the care they need by law enforcement including the court system, have drug treatment programs to help drug users get help so they won’t be addicted to drugs, and need for educational awareness to help educate people about the need to reduce drugs use or other crime related issues.

Associate Justice Durham, I have Autism with a learning disability.  Having Autism is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased.  Your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights and be an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights really inspire me to work hard on my disability.  Also your work as Associate Justice in the Utah Supreme Court really inspired me to take an “Intro To Criminal Justice” class where I got to learn more about how the court system works, Miranda rights, law enforcement, and the need for criminal justice reform.  Another thing is your commitment to make society better and your work in the Utah Supreme Court really motivates me to continue my interest in learning history. My future goal is to someday teach history to help emphasize the need to make Civil Rights stronger, have criminal justice reform to make check and balances in the system work to reduce crime while protecting Civil Rights or civil liberties, and many others.

I strongly believe that you are making a great difference in society and the judicial system in your role as Associate Justice in the Utah Supreme Court.  I’m very proud on how you work hard to advocate for the need to make Civil Rights stronger, improve learning about the judicial system in schools, and the need for criminal justice reform.  You have truly inspired me to work hard on Autism, have an interest in learning about the criminal justice system with he need for reform, and to be motivated to continue to learn history.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me. I wish you well for the future and to continue to advocate for great ideas to make society, history, and even the judicial system a better place.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick