Letter from Winona

Dear Ramsey County residents,

​

I am running to be your Ramsey County District Court judge because I believe in a bench that is built strongly on voter awareness. District court judges make decisions that directly impact lives, and these individual impacts may leave lifelong and generational consequences. They may often be the last line of defense to one’s rights and one’s dignity. Even so, the majority of voters do not know who their judges are, even though these are elected local positions.

​

As a longtime community organizer civically engaged for the last fifteen years, I learned that democracy is real—it works when we put in the labor to move its gears. But as a young attorney, I saw that like any branch of government that is not properly supported by true democratic engagement, our judicial branch is subject to be complicit to systems that may perpetuate systemic injustices against our poor, BlPOC, LGBTQI+, elders, and our children. All members of our society are impacted. Taxpayers across the county pay to afford new programs and for extended detention stays, court backlogs, and overworked staff.

 

In Ramsey County, the densest and most diverse county in Minnesota, the administration of justice in the courtroom, with fairness, integrity, and impartiality, must only be a minimum expectation. As judge, I will also push for proactive engagement in community as a method to reduce crime rates, improve public trust in legal institutions, ensure equitable access to justice, and enhance the quality and fairness of legal outcomes for all.

 

Join me, and let’s work the wheels of democracy to

​

bring the judiciary to the community.

​

Sincerely,

Winona Yang, Esq.