Spotlighting Women Making History

FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Honorable Sharonda P Bradford, Commissioner, California Superior Court
From Two Pounds to Commissioner

In honor of National Women's History Month and to inspire young ladies to dream big, plan, and strive for their goals, Bessie Morris Foundation shines a spotlight on Commissioner Sharonda P. Bradford.

Sharonda Bradford's mother always had plenty of books for her to read. In particular, she loved the adventures of the Encyclopedia Brown detective series. She wanted to be a detective, that was until she realized she'd have to carry a gun.

She still wanted to solve issues, and then one night she stayed up late and watched the TV show Perry Mason. He always figured out who did it and was able to get the guilty witness to flip on the stand. Sharonda was hooked and her interest was piqued. She wanted to be a lawyer, even though she had no real concept of what that entailed. Growing up in Compton, she did not have access to any friends or acquaintances who were attorneys. She only had Perry Mason as her guide at that point. What she saw was a way for her to contribute to the world.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTIVE EDUCATORS

Although some individuals around her were less than supportive of her career goal, Sharonda is grateful for the great teachers who helped prepare her. One of her favorite teachers was Ms. Peggy Brown who was the GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program specialist in elementary school. When Sharonda shared with Ms. Brown her plans to be a lawyer, the latter did not hesitate. She did not baulk that becoming an attorney is not typical for a child from their community, living in a single-parent household. Ms. Brown matter-of-factly explained to Sharonda what she needed to do: do well in school, graduate college, go to law school, and pass the bar.

Another teacher Sharonda highlights is her high school teacher, Mr. Grubb. Incredulously, her high school history textbook ended with the assassination of Kennedy. Undeterred in providing his students with a complete education in his class, Mr. Grubb scoured newspapers and magazines for articles to backfill the missing two decades of content.

SEEING A BIGGER WORLD

Sharonda studied hard and earned excellent grades from Manuel Dominguez High School. She graduated near the top of her class and matriculated directly at University of California at Santa Barbara. But being at UCSB was a real eye-opener for her. I realized the number and quality of resources available depended on where you lived. “You don't know what you don't have if that is all you know.”

She found that some of her fellow students had 4.8 grade averages because of the number of Advanced Placement courses they had been available to them at their high school. Dominquez HS had three. It's not a level playing field. She would never have been able to attain that GPA at her high school.

BECOMING “PERRY MASON”

After earning her bachelor's degree from UCSB, Sharonda worked for five years in various State of California agencies. But she never lost focus on her goal. While working full time during the day, she studied part-time at night and earned her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law.

For a year after passing the bar Sharonda, with a friend, practiced law in their family and civil law firm. But Sharonda's heart was in criminal law, and she wanted to be in the courtroom like Perry Mason. She was hired as an attorney at the Los Angeles County Public Defender's office. She worked her way up and worked on misdemeanor and all felony cases, except for capital murder. She supervised and trained misdemeanor attorneys.

THE BEST PART OF HER LIFE: COMPTON'S SHINING STAR

Then Sharonda was introduced to “the best part of her life”. While Bradford was assigned as a deputy public defender in the Compton courthouse, she was asked to be part of a specialized juvenile court called STAR (Succeeding Through Achievement and Resilience) Court. For four years she represented underage victims of sex trafficking.

An unexpected benefit of STAR is the collaborative participation and efforts of a multidisciplinary team of players who are invested and passionate about providing intervention services for youth. It is through STAR Bessie Morris Foundation founder, Ivory Freeman, a Los Angeles County deputy probation officer, met Deputy Public Defender Sharonda Bradford

The program, begun by Judge Pratt in the Compton courthouse, aims to provide intervention and assistance to youth caught up in the perils of human sex trafficking and who might otherwise be lost to the streets forever.

“It was difficult, but just as rewarding. I found young ladies (and sometimes young men) were resilient in ways they should haven't have to have been. The world was cruel to them. My job was not just to protect them in juvenile court as accused, but the next day be their attorney as they testified against their trafficker.”

“The goal for this court is for these minors to see themselves as valuable human being that deserve to have a good life instead of blaming themselves for their situation.” There is an emphasis on graduating high school and education. Some of the youth who've been in STAR Court have gone to college and trade schools.

One young lady who was particularly special to Deputy Public Defender Bradford went on to an HBCU, Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis. She was planning to come back to Los Angeles for the school's Parent Weekend since she did not have a parent to visit her. But Bradford told her, “Oh no! I will be there for you!” The coed proudly introduced her “attorney mother” all weekend to her friends and faculty. “Those 3 days still remain one of the best weekends of my life,” glowed Bradford.

While in STAR Court, Bradford helped to develop a victim-witness protocol to help these young ladies navigate the legal system. At that time, minors were being arrested for prostitution, even though they were not of age to grant consent. Minors can no longer be arrested for that crime. “I'd like to think STAR Court had a lot to do with that change. I am very proud of work we've done there. I wish we could say we saved every one of those children, but we did some good.”

STAR Court representatives participated in President Barack Obama's United State of Women Summit. Other courts are modeling Compton's STAR Court to develop similar programs across the country.

SWORN IN AS COMMISSIONER

After serving twenty-one years in the Public Defender's office, the Honorable Sharonda Bradford was elected by Los Angeles Superior Court judges and then sworn in as a Commissioner on October 15, 2021.

Commissioner Bradford initially presided over misdemeanor cases in Dept 9 of the West Covina courthouse. But since becoming a bench officer, her goal was to be in the Compton courthouse. The realization of the inequity of resource allocation combined with her love for her community are what drove Commissioner Bradford to request assignment to the Compton courthouse. She wanted to help her community. Having someone on the bench that truly understands the people they serve and rule upon is critical for justice.

“Even though Compton is highly under-resourced, I never thought of it as a challenge growing up here. It positively affected me. There is so much richness here you cannot get anywhere else. I am able to connect with those who come to my courtroom on a level unavailable to other bench officers. I can use my life as an example in juvenile court. That is an asset.”

BEING IN COMMUNITY

Outside of the courthouse, it is important to Commissioner Bradford to do as much as she can in the community. She has spent many years doing community work with her church including heading their scholarship fund and organizing backpack and school supplies giveaways. Bradford coached the Davis Middle School mock trial team and coordinated lawyers from the Public Defender's office to guest-teach in the high school Government class.

AN OVERCHIEVER BY BIRTH

“My mother said I've been overcoming since the day I was born premature, weighing only 2 lbs. She says that I've been overachieving ever since.”

When asked to reflect upon what she is most proud of professionally, Commissioner Bradford shares that she was named the 2017 Juvenile Public Defender of the Year for her work in STAR Court

Personally, she is proud of her family. In particular, the efforts her mother and she have made to provide her severely handicapped sister, who requires 24-hour care, with a full life. “She goes with us when we travel, and she is happy and feels complete. We have provided her a life where she is part of the world.”

Sharonda is also proud of the family and life she and her husband of 24 years have built for themselves and their sons.

HER INSPIRATION

“My mother is amazing,” says Commissioner Bradford. Her mother, Lola Bradford, is the hardest working person she ever met. “Even with the challenges she faced for my sister, she still managed to make me feel like I was the center of her world. She encouraged me in everything I wanted to do.” She accomplished this all while working full-time as bookkeeper at Woolworth's and then as a payroll manager. “I always wanted to make her proud,” said Commissioner Bradford.

WORDS OF ADVICE

“It's always good to dream but turn that dream into a plan. Figure out what it is going to take to get there.

“Filter out negativity. Negativity will always be around, but don't buy into it. Toss it to the side and go to the next step in your plan. Don't let your hope be taken away.”

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The Honorable Sharonda Bradford was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Los Angeles County Superior Court on October 15, 2021. She currently sits in the Compton courthouse. Prior to joining the bench, Commissioner Bradford was a Deputy Public Defender with the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office for 20 years. She tried over 60 misdemeanor, felony and juvenile cases and served as the Deputy in Charge of the Compton Branch.

Commissioner Bradford is considered a nationally recognized expert in the representation of juvenile sex trafficking victims. She served as a panelist for the Fidler Institute on Criminal Justice and at the Judicial Council of California conference regarding sexually exploited children. She presented a webinar for the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law. Commissioner Bradford advised the Center for Court Innovation, in New York, regarding the development of court materials for trafficking victims and was featured in their short film From Defendant to Survivor: How Courts are Responding to Human Trafficking.

The first in her family to graduate college, Commissioner Bradford earned her B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara and her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law.