On Friday, September 27, Maha-Rebekah Abejuela, a former prosecutor, became the first Asian American woman to be a judge in Virginia. According to the Washington Post, Abejuela is the daughter of Filipino immigrants.
Abejuela was motivated to pursue this career path after watching juvenile court judges at work up close.
“They were in a position to affect children and families at the most critical parts of their lives,” Abejuela said to the Washington Post. “I wanted to be part of that.”
A 2017 Fairfax Bar Association post listed some potential candidates for judicial office, ranking Abejuela as a “recommended” candidate.
“Maha-Rebekah Abejuela is currently working as an Assistant County Attorney for Fairfax County representing the Department of Family Services in abuse and neglect cases involving both children and incapacitated adults,” the post said. “She prosecuted numerous felonies and misdemeanors, and specialized in domestic violence cases for the majority of her time there.”
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