U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

 

7/24/2025

U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

c/o E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse

333 Constitution Avenue, N.W. 

Washington, DC  20001

Dear U.S. District Judge Sooknanan,

My name is Matt Winick 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 Sooknanan, the main reason why I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work when you served as Deputy Associate Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice including as Principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Justice and as current U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to be very inspiring to me.

when you served as Deputy Associate Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice 2021-2023 including as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Justice 2023-2024, I liked on how you were a strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for rights of people with disabilities, work to expand on the Civil Rights Division to combat against hate crimes, and investigate any public places that practice different forms of discrimination or violate civil rights legislation. Supported drug treatment programs to help drug users get the care they need to reduce drug abuse, expanded on wrongful convictions unit including DNA testing along with forensic science to help solve evidence efficiently while reduce sending an innocent person to jail, and pushed for investigation into law enforcement officers that engage in police brutality or corruption that negatively effects innocent people are great ways to improve on criminal justice reform. Another thing that I liked about your work in the U.S. Department of Justice is how you were an advocate for the need to stop voter suppression to help protect people from losing their right to vote. In your current role as U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, I like on how you are a continuous strong supporter of civil rights including the rights of people with disabilities and criminal justice reform. Another thing that I like about your work in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is how you are an advocate for the need for the court system to have social workers to help advocate for people with disabilities including people who are poor or don’t have resources get help, support protecting civil liberties from being violated like the 4th amendment to help protect people from unreasonable searches, strongly advocate for protecting worker’s rights like benefits or paid sick or unemployment benefits from being weakened, and many others. 

 U.S. District Judge Sooknanan, I have autism including 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 in different settings, and get teased. Also it is hard when people like to use anti disability stigma as a way to put me down.  Your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights including rights of people with disabilities’ really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  Your role as former Deputy Associate Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice, as Principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Justice, and as current U.S. District
Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia helps give me motivation to continue to learn history, social justice, and criminal justice reform. My future goal is to someday work in these areas to help emphasize the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, expand on criminal justice reform to help protect 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 rights including rights of people with disabilities, advocate while push for criminal justice reform, heavily support protecting civil liberties including voter’s rights from being weakened, and many others. You truly inspire me to work hard on my disability, learn about your work, and continue to learn different subjects. I was wondering if you could please share with me on what it is like working in the judicial system. 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 difference for society including the judicial system when our country is broken.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick