Judge Lucy H. Koh of United States District Court For the Northern District of California

5/09/2017

 Judge Lucy H. Koh

c/o United States District Court For the Northern District of California

San Jose Courthouse

280 South 1^st Street, Room 2112

San Jose, CA  95113

Dear Judge Koh,

My name is Matthew Winick, an Asian American from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in learning history, public policy, and the criminal justice system. In these subjects, I like to learn the need to advance on Civil Rights to help protect people who are different from being discriminated and have criminal justice reform to make the system work for the people while reduce crime.  Judge Koh, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work as current District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and your activism on the Asian American Pacific Islander community to be very inspiring to me.

In 2010, I was very proud on how you accepted President Obama to be nominated for seat in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California to help President Obama improve the criminal justice system.   When you testified in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, I liked on how you express the need for diversity in the court system including the judicial system to help improve relations between the minorities communities and the judicial system and express the need for checks and balances to help protect people’s civil liberties like the fourth amendment with many other constitutional amendment while reducing crime. In your current role as District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, I’m proud on how you are a strong supporter the need to protect for women, minorities, and people with disabilities from being discriminated in education, public places, and jobs. Also on Civil Rights, I like on how you advocate for people with disabilities’ rights, express the need to make laws stronger to help protect women from being discriminated in pay, and support the need to reduce racial profiling in the criminal justice system to help protect minorities.  On Civil Liberties, I like on how you support the need for having a search warrant when law enforcement needs to search a person’s cellphone or their computer to help protect the right to privacy along with the fourth Amendment while reduce crime.  Besides your role as Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, I’m very proud on how you are active on the Asian American community by  advocating for Civil Rights, expressing the need for funds to help assist Asian American communities on getting the care they need, spreading ideas  about the need to improve education about Asians including Asian American culture in the education system, supporting the need for Asian or Asian Americans to be in public officials, and advocating for Asian American with disabilities’ rights.

 Judge Koh, 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 your advocacy for people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  Another thing that I struggle with being an Asian American with a disability is when some Asian including some Asian Americans tease me or judged me based on a disability due to them believing that I don’t meet their standards and some of their social groups reject me for being part of them. When I face these struggles I feel like I lose hope.  Your role as an Asian American and your activism for the Asian Community including advocating for Asian Americans with disabilities’ rights gives me motivation to be proud to be an Asian American when I face struggle with a disability and to continue being interested in Asian American or Asian culture with history. Your role as current as District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California drive me to continue my motivation to learn history including social justice. My main future goals is to someday work in public policy or history to help create common sense ideas to make society better and to feel confident to fit in with the rest of the Asian American community along with making friends with Asian American or Asian.  My letter is a gift to you for inspiring me and to recognize Asian Americans who work hard to make a great difference for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

I’m strongly believe that you are making a great difference serving in United States District Court for the Northern District of California and in the Asian American community.  My letter is a gift to you for inspiring me and for Asian  Pacific American Heritage Month to recognize Asian American who work hard to make a great difference. Also I’m proud on how you are working hard to make society a better place.  You are an inspiration to me to work hard on my disability, continue my interest in learning history including public policy with social justice, and to be proud to be an Asian American with a disability. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a great difference, and inspiring me.  I was wondering if you could please share what it is like being District Judge.  Another thing is I wish you well on continue to make a great difference for society, the judicial system, and Asian American community in your role.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick