The pioneering federal judge who the first and only Black woman to ever head the Michigan Bar Association is retiring after 25 years of service.
U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts, who fought for more diverse, inclusive and equitable juries in federal courts and was known for her trailblazing accomplishment of throwing out a notorious domestic terrorism case, described her choice to retire as a “bittersweet moment,” according to a report in The Detroit Free Press.
“It has been my highest honor to be in association with all of you and our former colleagues,” Roberts told the publication. “Few have the privilege or opportunity to serve the public in such an impactful way and to make decisions that influence every aspect of life and public policy. You have met the challenges with the devotion that our calling requires of us. Please know that I respect you all, and I will miss you.”
Roberts became a wunderkind way before she was judge after being awarded her high school’s top honor as class valedictorian. She initially was interested in pursuing a career in journalism but pivoted to law after an editor for a local paper would not publish her stories because they “had already hired a Black reporter.”
She would eventually graduate from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, where she worked as a private attorney for 20 years and was appointed a federal judge by President Bill Clinton in 1997.
Roberts rose the ranks quickly, first by becoming the first judge in the Eastern District of Michigan to express worry about the lack of Black people on federal juries, and worked on campaigns to redevelop the selection process.
She would then cement a watershed moment in U.S. history when she dismissed the highly-disputed Hutaree militia case in 2012. Her decision to do so stemmed from her belief that the organization did not intend to overthrow the government and launch a violent uprising. It was an unexpected move that received praise from many legal professionals in the nation.
“She took the bench every day without a preconceived notion of how a case should be decided,” Mark Chutkow, a former federal prosecutor who worked with Roberts told the publication. “She never put her thumb on the scale … her departure will leave a big hole in our state’s justice system.”
