Virginia Amato: who is she? Judge was criticized for informing the man that he would “be Bubba’s new girlfriend.”
Virginia Amato
The state Commission censured a King County District Court judge for saying from the bench that a defendant would be raped in jail if he did not alter his behavior. Judge Virginia Amato received a great deal of anger and criticism for her remarks from last August. According to reports, she informed the unnamed offender that she expected him “to become Bubba’s new best girlfriend in the state penitentiary.”
According to the stipulation, agreement, and order of admonishment signed June 24 by the commission’s executive director, J Reiko Callner, Judge Amato was elected in November 2018 and presided over the arraignment of a man charged with misdemeanor domestic violence assault and resisting arrest last August. Amato imposed restrictions of release after noting that the man’s alleged crimes were committed while he was on probation for prior offenses, according to the judgment.
“That should hopefully give you a disturbing image to consider. And no, I’m not joking if you think I am “The judge allegedly stated in a complaint. The judge continued, “The people at the penitentiary have mothers, sisters, nieces, and cousins that they do not want someone out there abusing,” to which the defendant responded that he understood what she was saying. She said, “At the prison, they will vent that anger on you. Consider that since you have a growing number of felonies at this point.”
Although much information about the defendant’s criminal history is unknown and the case’s outcome is likewise uncertain, it was stated that the man had never been charged with a felony before and that the judge would find it very difficult to sentence him to prison even if he were found guilty. The judgment states that Amato was issued with a statement of charges in December after the commission, which is in charge of examining and taking action on complaints of judicial misconduct, received a confidential complaint in October. However, it is unclear who objected to Amato’s words.
The judge acknowledged that she had made the claims in the complaint, but she defended herself by asserting that whatever she had said to the defendant was done so with good intentions and without any animosity on her part. Although insensitive and careless, they weren’t motivated by prejudice or hostility toward the defendant, the speaker claimed. Regardless of her claimed motivation, the Conduct Commission found that Amato broke Washington law by failing to uphold the “integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary,” as well as her need to “avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.”
“The judge could and should have emphasized the seriousness of the accusations and their prospective repercussions without insinuating that a defendant may be raped in prison if he continued his unlawful activity,” the order claims. “The language and imagery used were inappropriate, disrespectful, and unworthy of a judicial officer. They were demeaning to the defendant and other prisoners, using stereotypes to their advantage and stirring up anxieties about the criminal justice system. According to the judgment, Amato’s remark during the arraignment of the prisoner in the case when he was assumed innocent was particularly deemed disrespectful and unreasonable. According to the judgment, Amato sought advice from more senior judges and consented to take part in a one-hour ethics training regarding proper courtroom behavior.
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