Why I Want to Be a Judge

By Serena R. Murillo

Courtroom experiences that have shaped me as a prosecutor.

An older African man, slight of build, approached the podium. Loud crinkling resounded through the courtroom as he removed a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. The trial for the murder of his twenty-three year old daughter had concluded. Finding that he was sane at the time of the act, the jury convicted the defendant for murder in the first degree. The man at the podium, a native of Eritrea, had been in this country for all of two weeks. His daughter had come here to study English before being shot in the head as she slept by her husband.

Anxiously, I sat before the court waiting for this man to deliver his victim impact statement. I was not sure what to expect. In my experience, victims often used their statements to berate the defendant. Some sobbed uncontrollably as they tried to explain their loss. Some even forgave. This man, Mr. Tewolde*, sat quietly through the proceedings. He and his wife humbly observed the defendant, the Judge, the police, the mental health experts, and the Jury.

At the podium, he steadied the tremble in his voice and delivered a statement the likes of which I had never heard. In broken English he began, "First, I would like to thank the Founding Fathers of this great country." His voice broke. He cleared his throat and continued. He went on to thank the judge, the prosecutor, the police, and the jury. Not until he thanked everyone did he begin to talk about how much he loved his daughter. Not once did he berate the defendant.

These kinds of experiences have shaped me as a prosecutor. They have been essential to my work, because they rejuvenate the part of my spirit that believes that justice, truth, and civic duty are more than just values learned in elementary social studies: they are principles with real meaning, and they matter in everyday American life. I have had the honor of serving the People of the State of California for over seventeen years. I am proud to say that, over the course of my career, I have been challenged and inspired by smart judges, tireless and ethical defense attorneys, heroic members of the public, courageous police officers, and some of the finest prosecutors in the State.

In dedicating my life to public service, I have often recalled a quotation by the remarkable Barbara Jordan, the first Southern African-American woman elected to the House of Representatives. She said, "What the people want is very simple. They want an America as good as its promise." This country's promise is so strong that Mr. Tewolde* was moved to stand in a courtroom and thank our Founders, even after suffering the unthinkable tragedy of losing his daughter here. This country's promise caused my own grandfather, a Bracero during World War II, to bring his wife and six children here, searching for social and economic opportunities not available to them in Mexico.

I do not take for granted that I benefited from the sacrifices of previous generations, and as a result I was able to work hard in a classroom instead of a field in the central valley. I owe my life to those who have sought and believed in America's promise, and their stories continue to inspire me. My experience has taught me that America promises a better life, opportunity, and above all, fairness and justice. I would be honored to join the ranks of those who have upheld our system of laws, so many of which have helped generations--including my own--to thrive. As a judge, I would persist in what is becoming my life's work: upholding an America as good as its promise.