Rosemarie E. Aquilina is the 30th circuit court judge in Ingham County, Michigan, United States. Previously, Aquilina was the 55th District Court Judge, where she served as both a Sobriety Court Judge as well as the Chief Judge. She is the judge who sentenced Larry Nassar in the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal.
Video Rosemarie Aquilina
Early life and education
Aquilina moved to the United States with her family at a young age and became a naturalized citizen when she was twelve years old. Aquilina earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism at Michigan State University in 1979 and her Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School (now called Western Michigan University Cooley Law School) in Lansing, Michigan in 1984.
Maps Rosemarie Aquilina
Career
Following law school, Aquilina worked for ten years as administrative assistant and campaign manager for State Senator John F. Kelly, and then as a partner in his lobbying firm, Strategic Governmental Consultants, PLLC. During this time, she also formed Aquilina Law Firm, PLC, and from the success of the firm, she became the host of Ask the Family Lawyer, a syndicated radio talk show.
Aquilina then joined the Michigan Army National Guard, where she became the state's first female member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps and acquired the nickname "Barracuda Aquilina" due to her dedication to service and advocating on behalf of the soldiers she worked with. She served for twenty years before retiring.
Aquilina is currently an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School where she teaches classes in family law, advanced trial practice, the legislative process, defending battered women, animal law, child abuse and neglect, elder law, and military law. She was awarded by Cooley Law School with the Griffen Award for Teaching Excellence. Aquilina also serves as an adjunct professor at Michigan State University College of Law, where she teaches classes in criminal and civil trial practice, trial practicum, criminal law, and criminal procedure in both the LL.M and JD programs. She was honored with the College of Law Student Bar Association Adjunct Faculty Award for exceptional teaching. In the 1990s, Aquilina ran against Ingham County Judge Laura Baird for the Michigan State Senate, though Aquilina did not win. In 2004, she was elected a judge of the 55th Michigan District Court, and in November of 2008, she was elected as judge of the 30th Circuit Court for Ingham County. In July of 2013, Aquilina found the city of Detroit's bankruptcy filing to violate the state constitution, and sent an advisory memorandum to President Obama.
In January of 2018, Aquilina presided over the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal case. She allowed over 150 women and girls involved with the US Olympics gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar, to present personal testimony on their sexual abuse. Aquilina sentenced Nassar to up to 175 years in prison for sexual abuse of juveniles and young women over the past two decades. Aquilina is also an author and has published two novels: Feel No Evil (2003) and Triple Cross Killer (2017).
Personal life
Aquilina's father (83) is Maltese, and her mother (84) is German. Aquilina has five children: David (36), Jennifer (35), Johanna (17), Michael (7), Marissa (7). Aquilina also has two grandchildren. She currently resides with three of her children, her father, and her mother in East Lansing, Michigan.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments