Comment #: AZ2892
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I really like this Judge. I have felt safe with her every single time I have faced her. Court is always scary, and when your children are on the line it is serious business, but first and foremost - it is emotional. The attachment one feels to their children is probably the deepest connection they will ever feel in their time on this earth. It is hard to behave at your best when you are emotional. For example, imagine trying to rock a really important job interview the day your beloved mother died. It’s really freaking hard! So is having a Dependency.

I have felt unfairly treated and scrutinized at many points in my case for being really emotional and feeling defensive, or even just for asking not to do services that do not make sense - but never by her. I get the vibe that she has a family of her own. She just kind of speaks with a tone of empathy that a loving mother possesses when hearings wrap up and she addresses you personally. It is hard to explain.

I did not know what to expect from her at first, but from the first time I faced her, I knew that she was actually the safe person that I could come to and ask for fairness moving forward. At first I was shocked she had no reviews at all, but then I considered that people probably flock to this site to leave anonymous complaints when they are angry and don’t agree with their rulings. She might not have reviews because she is a fair Judge, weirdly. Her lack of reviews should kind of be a reassurance, if you really think about it.

If you have anxiety like me, and were assigned this Judge only to run here to learn what to expect and be dismayed to find NOTHING (but this! haha) you might be pleasantly surprised in real I life like I was. But, that anxiety from turning up nothing is the only reason why I am writing this. I don’t want anyone else to experience that horrible sinking feeling or to stay up all night before their first hearing with her like I did.

Judge Gates has spoken to me in Court like she believes in me, and I view her in such high regard and as the utmost authority figure in my case. I know that no matter what happens in the day to day, she will actually listen to me and consider what I have to say if I am scared or do not agree with something I am asked to do that makes no sense.

I really thought that once a case enters a Dependency stage, that the Court is just the Judicial Bodyguard of DCS and you are screwed. If she is your Judge, and you are reading this, don’t be afraid. Just make sure to listen to her when she sidebars you at the end of your hearings, even if you are offended. Do what she tells you, even if it annoys you. She wants to help you.