[Editor’s Note: Former U.S. Magistrate Judge Monica J. Benton was recently sworn in as the newest King County Superior Court judge. This article is excerpted from Lem Howell’s comments at her induction ceremony.]
From the time Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, told Moses to select judges over the people of Israel, he said to look for able men, who fear God, are trustworthy and hate dishonest gain. In this day, other than the sex thing, from that male-dominated time, we have a judge who is able, who is God fearing, who is trustworthy and who hates dishonest gain.
For those among us who do not know it, Monica came to us from Los Angeles, where she attended UCLA undergraduate and Southwestern School of Law for her Juris Doctor. She clerked for U. S. District Court Judge Jack Tanner, the first federal court black judge appointed in the state of Washington. Jack Tanner was also a founding member of the Loren Miller Bar Association.
After clerking for Jack, Monica Benton became a King County deputy prosecutor where she worked in the Special Assault Unit handling Class A sexual and physical abuse crimes committed primarily against women and children. During that time — in the l987 legislative session — she worked with the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and the Washington Sentencing Commission to pass legislation that changed sentencing ranges of child-sexual abuse offenses.
Then it was “Go East Young Woman.” Monica left Seattle for the other Washington. In Washington, D.C., she became director of governmental relations for the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA). Her job included supporting state and local prosecutors before Congress and on behalf of the Center for Child Abuse Prevention.
The suppression of child abuse has been a constant theme in Monica’s professional career. While still in D.C., she next became senior attorney at the American Prosecutor Research Insti-tute’s Center for Prosecution of Child Abusers with the NDAA, using the interdisciplinary approach to child abuse investigation and prosecution. She provided technical assistance to prosecutors (state and federal), law enforcement and social workers, and made presentations to congressional committees.
Then Monica became a trial attorney with the Department of Justice, Criminal Section Fraud Division, where her assignments included dealing with urban development fraud cases and working with the FBI, and proceedings before the grand jury.
Well, Monica could not stay away from God’s Country, so in l990 she returned to King County to be the senior deputy prosecuting attorney in the Criminal Division and so served until l995. Again, she was attached to the Special Assault Unit where she had supervisory responsibilities.
Monica left the prosecutor’s office in l995 to become a King County District Court judge and was named a U.S. magistrate for the Western District of Washington in 2000. Shortly before her appointment to the King County bench, Judge Benton received distinguished service awards from the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference and the Federal Bar Association in 2007. These are only two of her many awards.
Judge Monica Benton is a workhorse. The National Bar Association (NBA) is a national organization of black lawyers. It was formed in l925 when African American lawyers could not become members of the American Bar Association. In l994, the NBA had its annual convention in Seattle for the second time.
The Loren Miller Bar Association hosted the convention. The LMBA is an association of black lawyers in Washington and an affiliate of the NBA. Monica Benton was president of the LMBA. Monica became chief cook and bottle washer and filled in for every position where she could not get a volunteer, including babysitter. She did everything. Fittingly, the LMBA honored Judge Benton with its Lifetime Achievement Award on May 16.
Let me tell you about the sensitive, caring side of Monica that was demonstrated during that convention. Judge Jerome Farris was married to a wonderful woman named Jean Farris who had died. During that convention, Monica arranged for a special tribute to Jean Farris and invited Jerry. He came and was moved to tears. All the attendees to the convention will tell you that they had a wonderful time in Seattle.
Monica is steeped in black culture. When the NBA had a convention in New York, a number of us from Seattle attended. Monica suggested that we go up to Harlem and visit the Schomburg Collection. The Schomburg Center for Research (http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html) deals with all aspects of black culture.
Recently, the l965 Civil Rights Act was coming up for renewal in Congress and I was asked to speak at a local downtown church. I had a conflict and was not able to do it. Guess who substituted for me and did her usual excellent job.
One of the famous quotes in Monica’s office is by my hero Thurgood Marshall: “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” The LMBA’s celebration of Brown v. Board of Education in 2004 and re-enactment of the argument would not have been the same without Monica’s participation. The Washington Supreme Court played the U.S. Supreme Court. I played Thurgood Marshall. The performance was at Kane Hall at the University of Washington, to an overflow crowd. At the reception afterwards, Monica got a service award for her participation in the preparation of and presentation of the program.
She has all sorts of artifacts of historical significance in her office. Monica is not only a student of history, but her inclinations and sensibility are what we would like our judges to have. Her emphasis on youth and children demonstrates Judge Monica Benton’s concern for the future of children, which has been the constant throughout her life.
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