Mary Yu
{{Short description|American judge (born 1957)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Mary Yu
|office = Associate Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
|appointer = Jay Inslee
|term_start = May 20, 2014
|term_end =
|predecessor = James Johnson
|successor =
|birth_name = Mary Isabel Yu
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1957}}
|birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|education = Dominican University (BA)
Loyola University Chicago (MA)
University of Notre Dame (JD)
}}
Mary Isabel Yu[http://www.courts.wa.gov/committee/pdf/2006AnnualReport.pdf 2006 Annual report] courts.wa.gov (born 1957) is an American lawyer who has served as an associate justice of the Washington Supreme Court since 2014. She served as a judge of the King County Superior Court from 2000 to 2014. She is the state's first openly gay justice, as well as the first Asian American and first Latina justice.{{cite web | url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/may/02/inslee-picks-mary-yu-for-washington-supreme-court/ | title=Inslee picks Mary Yu for Washington Supreme Court | publisher=The Spokesman-Review | date=May 2, 2014 | author=Camden, Jim}}
Early life and education
Yu was born in Chicago, Illinois to a Chinese father and Mexican mother.Ronald K. Fitten, [https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19990607/2965175/top-prosecutor-is-on-mission-in-life----what-drives-her-is-need-to-serve Top Prosecutor Is 'On Mission In Life' -- What Drives Her Is Need To Serve], The Seattle Times (June 7, 1999). She graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1975.Deborah D. Fleck, [http://www.courts.wa.gov/programs_orgs/pos_mjc/newsletter/032000/equaljustice.cfm?article=yu.htm Mary I. Yu: Deputy Chief of Staff Office of the King County Prosecuting Attorney], Equal Justice Newsletter: Volume 3, Number 1 (March 2000). Yu then attended Dominican University and graduated in 1979 with a degree in theology. In 1989, Yu earned a graduate degree in theology from Mundelein of Loyola University.
After completing her undergraduate education, Yu went to work for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.Maureen O'Hagan, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002647450_yu26m.html A special ruling: judge of the year], The Seattle Times (November 26, 2005). She was initially hired by Rev. Francis J. Kane as a secretary for the Office of Peace and Justice for the Archdiocese of Chicago, but eventually rose to become director of the Office of Peace and Justice.Beth Barrett Bloom, [http://www.kcba.org/scriptcontent/KCBA/barbulletin/archive/2006/06-01/profile.cfm Profile: Judge Mary Yu - Opening Doors and Passing on the Gifts of Mentorship] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120050320/http://www.kcba.org/scriptcontent/KCBA/barbulletin/archive/2006/06-01/profile.cfm |date=2008-11-20 }}, King County Bar Association.
Yu enrolled at Notre Dame Law School in 1990. She graduated with her J.D. degree in 1993.
Legal career and judicial service
In 1999, King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng named Yu as his deputy chief of staff.
In 2000, Washington Governor Gary Locke appointed Yu to replace retiring judge Janice Niemi on the King County Superior Court.Alex Fryer, [https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20000302/4007710/locke-names-three-judges-to-king-county-superior-court Governor fills 3 positions on court for King County], The Seattle Times (March 2, 2000).
Yu was considered a leading contender to replace Justice Bobbe Bridge on the Washington Supreme Court when Bridge retired in December 2007.David Ammons, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004051843_webcourt04.html Gregoire picks Spokane jurist for high court], Associated Press (December 4, 2007). Ultimately, Governor Christine Gregoire appointed Debra L. Stephens to fill the vacancy.
On December 9, 2012, at midnight, Mary Yu officiated the first same-sex marriages in Washington state.{{cite news|title=Sunday was wedding day for same-sex couples in Wash. state|url=http://www.nwcn.com/home/First-same-sex-weddings--182738991.html|accessdate=December 11, 2012|date=December 9, 2012}} Judge Yu's name (coincidentally pronounced as "marry you") was deemed "the perfect name for the job" by The Stranger columnist Dominic Holden.{{cite web|url = http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/12/08/whos-marrying-the-first-gay-couple-judge-mary-yu|title = Who's Marrying the First Gay Couple? Judge Mary Yu|author = Dominic Holden|publisher = The Stranger|date = Dec 8, 2012 }}
Appointment to Washington Supreme Court
On May 1, 2014, Judge Yu was appointed by Washington Governor Jay Inslee to the Washington Supreme Court, making her the first openly LGBTQ member of the court, in addition to the first Latina-American and Asian-American.{{cite news|last=Provenza|first=Nick|title=Assistant Metro Editor|url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/05/mary-yu-appointed-to-state-supreme-court/|accessdate=2 May 2014|newspaper=Seattle Times|date=2 May 2014}} She is the 11th woman to serve on the Washington Supreme Court (and one of six currently serving), the first person of Asian descent, the third person of Hispanic descent, and the first Hispanic woman.{{Citation|last=La Corte|first=Rachel|title=Mary Yu appointed to state Supreme Court|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|location=Seattle, Washington|date=May 1, 2014|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Mary-Yu-appointed-to-state-Supreme-Court-5445970.php|accessdate=May 5, 2014}} Yu, who is openly gay, is also the first LGBT person to hold this position.{{Citation|title=Inslee picks Mary Yu for Washington Supreme Court|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|location=Spokane, Washington|date=May 2, 2014|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/may/02/inslee-picks-mary-yu-for-washington-supreme-court/}} Yu is one of ten LGBT state supreme court justices currently serving in the United States.
She was sworn in on May 20, 2014 as an associate justice of the Washington Supreme Court.{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/20/mary-yu-supreme-court-was_n_5360760.html | title=Washington's High Court Swears In First Openly Gay Justice | publisher=Huffington Post/AP | date=20 May 2014 | accessdate=21 May 2014 | author=La Corte, Rachel}}{{cite web | url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/may/21/state-supreme-court-justice-mary-yu-sworn-in/ | title=State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu sworn in | publisher=The Spokesman-Review | date=21 May 2014 | accessdate=21 May 2014 | author=Camden, Jim}} Justice Yu ran unopposed in 2015 to complete the term and was the highest vote getter in the State.{{Cite web|url=http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/Judicial-All.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141113080346/http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/Judicial-All.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-11-13|title=November 3, 2015 General Election Results, Washington Secretary of State, Elections Division|accessdate=6 May 2024}} Justice Yu was subsequently elected to the Supreme Court for a six-year term in 2016.
In October 2018, Yu joined the majority when the court abolished the state's death penalty because they found its racist imposition violated the Constitution of Washington.{{Bluebook journal |first=|last=Note|title=Recent Case: Washington State Supreme Court Declares Death Penalty Unconstitutional In Washington|volume=132|journal=Harv. L. Rev.|page=1764|url=https://harvardlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1764-1771_Online.pdf|year=2019}}{{cite court|litigants=State v. Gregory|vol=427|reporter=P.3d|opinion=621|court=Wash.|date=2018|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=8854659891232700142|accessdate=}}
Personal life
Yu resides in Seattle and in Olympia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=yu|title = Washington State Courts - Supreme Court Bios - Justice Mary I. Yu}} On March 16, 2021, she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where she was recognized for the appropriateness of her name as she also is a frequent wedding officiant.{{Citation|title=Don Jr. Angry at Biden and Tucker Carlson Attacks Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion| date=16 March 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FkU9fF_NLY|language=en|access-date=2021-03-17}} On May 24, 2022, she threw the ceremonial first pitch for a game between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics.{{Cite web |title=Mariners homestand highlights: May 23–29 vs. Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros |website=MLB.com |url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mariners-homestand-highlights-may-23-29-vs-athletics-and-astros |access-date=June 20, 2022}}
Awards
Yu is a Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Seattle University School of Law.{{cite web | url=http://www.law.seattleu.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/visiting-and-affiliated/judge-mary-i-yu | title=Faculty: Justice Mary I. Yu Distinguished Jurist in Residence | publisher=Seattle University School of Law}} In 1984, Yu received the Caritas Veritas award from Dominican University, as an alumna exemplifying a search for truth through charity or service.{{Cite web |title=Caritas Veritas Award |url=https://www.dom.edu/alumni/awards/caritas-veritas |access-date=June 20, 2022}}
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=yu Washington Courts, Supreme Court Members: Justice Mary Yu, Official Court Biography]
- [http://justicemaryyu.com/ Official Justice Mary Yu Campaign Site]
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{{s-ttl|title=Justice of the Washington Supreme Court|years=2014–present}}
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{{Current statewide political officials of Washington}}
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Category:American judges of Mexican descent
Category:Asian-American–Hispanic and Latino American relations
Category:Dominican University (Illinois) alumni
Category:American LGBTQ lawyers
Category:Loyola University Chicago alumni
Category:Notre Dame Law School alumni
Category:Justices of the Washington Supreme Court
Category:American LGBTQ people of Asian descent
Category:LGBTQ people from Illinois
Category:LGBTQ people from Washington (state)
Category:LGBTQ Hispanic and Latino American people
Category:21st-century American judges
Category:LGBTQ appointed officials in the United States
Category:21st-century American women judges