Chosen by my colleagues to serve as Presiding Judge, I joined the bench in 2017 with important and diverse legal experience: seven years as a criminal prosecutor, five years as a civil defense attorney and 13 years as a commissioner and magistrate. I also bring lived experience as a Jewish person and gay man.  

Restorative Justice demands that we recognize our courts have been plagued by systemic racism, bias and prejudice. The impacts of generations of injustice are manifest throughout society, and must be corrected through honest dialogue and reforms that address the causes of criminal behavior, while also restoring lives. From that perspective, I work to rebuild our court system into one where everyone is treated fairly, and where we seek genuine accountability rooted in long-term, positive outcomes. 

Growing up with an abusive father, I know treatment is critical to helping heal survivors, their families, and abusers. That’s why I helped create the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP), a community-based program that serves as an alternative to jail. DVIP provides individualized treatment to break cycles of abuse and trauma. On a lighter note, I am also co-director of Youth Traffic Court, a collaboration with Garfield High School for teens who receive traffic tickets in Seattle. 

In my first term I was rated “Exceptionally Well Qualified” by the King County Bar, Latina/o, Loren Miller, Joint Asian, and Cardozo bar associations. Please see my website for current ratings.

I am committed to healthy, just, and inclusive communities. I would be honored to earn your vote. 

Endorsed by: Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven González, Justices Mary Yu, Helen Whitener, Bobbe Bridge (fmr.); Superior Court Judges Veronica Galván, Ketu Shah, David Keenan; County Councilmembers Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Dave Upthegrove; local Democrats; unions, prosecutors, public defenders, defense attorneys, and many more!

I am a first-generation Indian-American, a child of immigrants, born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and would be the first South Asian woman elected as a Judge in Seattle Municipal Court.

Seattle faces serious issues with recidivism, chronic homelessness, and untreated mental illness that have not been addressed by the existing judges. I aim to hold the court accountable for its failure to address Seattle’s needs by replacing the least effective member of this bench, as reflected in the March 2022 King County Bar Association’s Judicial Officer Survey.  

My career as a public defender was a crucible of constant interaction with the courts, the prosecutors, defendants, and the community. I’ve taken 11 criminal cases to trial and prepared hundreds that were either dismissed or pleaded before seating a jury - all to outcomes that were the best I could obtain for my clients and aligned with a profound respect for the law.

I’ve practiced in district courts in both Snohomish and King County, and most recently in Seattle Municipal Court. During this final 10-month stretch in Seattle, I saw a dramatic rise in untreated mental illness, a decline in the services available to defendants and their families, and a disturbing unwillingness by the court to acknowledge or address these issues.

I stand for compassion, fairness, and restorative justice, and have received exclusive endorsements from the King County Democrats, the Young Democrats of King County, the Democrats for Diversity and Inclusion, the Women’s Political Caucus, and the Democratic Legislative Districts of the 46th, the 37th, and the 43rd. I believe this reflects that the current court has not earned the confidence of Seattle and must do better. 

If elected, I will elevate the standard of judicial competence and integrity in Seattle. I would be honored to have your vote.