“Understanding the Role of the Judiciary in Our Democracy” is the focus of the Saturday, January 17th AAUW Nevada County Branch program. Guest speakers are Judge Kelly Babineau, Judge Kent Kellegrew, and Judge Jane York Punneo, who will speak on the roles and the importance of the judiciary in American democracy. They will cover a range of topics, including an overview of federal and state court systems, differences in judicial selection processes, Nevada County court-provided services, judicial training and ethics, and how judges manage bias in legal decisions. They will also provide an overview of stare decisis (the doctrine that precedent must be respected) and a perspective on Constitutional Crisis in American history as well as discuss current legal decisions by looking at past Supreme Court cases.
Judge Babineau was appointed to the Nevada County Superior Court in 2023. She currently presides over juvenile dependency, juvenile justice, family law, and domestic violence. Prior to her appointment, she worked predominantly in the criminal defense field, both as a public defender and private counsel since 1997.
Judge Kellegrew was appointed to the bench for the Ventura County Superior Court in 1997 where he presided over civil, criminal, family and probate matters. Over his 24 years on the Bench in Ventura County, he served as Presiding Judge of the Appellate Department and Supervising Judge of the East County Courthouse before his election as Presiding Judge for the entire Ventura Court system. Since 2020, Judge Kellegrew sits on special judicial assignment throughout California.
Judge York Punneo is one of the longest sitting trial judges in California. She served as a trial court judge in Fresno County for 22 years followed by 20 years serving as a trial court judge throughout northern California. She has worked in areas of family law, juvenile dependency, and criminal law. Among her many varied responsibilities, she served on the Judicial Council of California, the administrative policy-making body of the state court, and chaired Judicial Council Committees and California Judges Association Committees.
The meeting, which is free and open to the public, will be held 9:30-11:30AM at Peace Lutheran Church, 828 W. Main Street, Grass Valley. This program is sponsored by Kim White, Attorney, and Sierra Tech Guy, David Ball.
For more than 85 years, the AAUW Nevada County Branch has been striving to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. AAUW membership is open to individuals with an associate, baccalaureate, or higher degree from a qualified educational institution. For individuals interested in participating in branch interest groups and other activities, but who have not had the opportunity to complete a degree, the Nevada County Branch offers “Friends of AAUW” membership.
For more information about the January program and AAUW Nevada County Branch, go to www.nevadacounty-ca.aauw.net .