Title: Associate Judge

Company: Yakama Nation

Location: Toppenish, Wash.

Through Maryrose’s Gonzalez familial background, having several members in tribal council enforcement or in the courts, she continues her second year as associate judge at Yakama Nation. An expert in company handbook, legal knowledge, and casino rules and regulations, she oversees the security officers to protect the assets and safety of the gaming patrons. She also checks schedules and assigning work to the security team whether as an escort for the transfer of money, handling incidents with disruptive behavior or police incidents, and prostitution and drug activity. As well, Ms. Gonzales trains staff members on how to write easy-to-understand reports in case they are later used for a court case and ensures training on managing aggressive behavior and handcuffing.

Prior to her present position, Ms. Gonzalez worked as a court clerk and judge with the tribal court for 21 years. During that time, she re-incorporated the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA). She also gained the trust and relationships with programs affiliated with the courts to improve services to clients. She was active in organizing community events servicing and providing information to families about services in their area. Ms. Gonzalez was and still is passionate about helping people. In the coming years, Ms. Gonzalez would like to open a private practice and represent people in prosecution or on the defense side. She is also interested in returning to the court setting either as a lawyer or a judge.