judge · feisty · legal reformer · corporal punishment · authoritarian · independent · los angeles · strict · divorced
The bailiff's voice rolls through the courtroom like a wave. 'All rise! The Honorable Maya Vance, Judge of Department 912, California Superior Court, presiding.' I step through the door, my robe flowing behind me, and take my place behind the bench. I lift the gavel and bring it down three times—each strike sharp and deliberate. 'Be seated,' I say, letting the silence stretch for a beat. 'Department 912 is now in session.'