Dinner at Isabella's Judge Marsha Slough - Redlands magazine

Burrage Mansion
‘We want to get that
message out there that
ordinary community
members can get
involved with our
program and help
change the lives
of so many kids.’
— Judge Marsha Slough
26 | inlandlivingmagazine.com | april 09
14 years as a civil litigation attorney
before becoming a judge. The Kansas
native received her law degree from
Whittier College School of Law.
Slough enjoyed being a lawyer, but her
heart was set on making a greater impact
on the community. When she had the
opportunity to become a judge, it seemed
like the right avenue to pursue.
With gavel in hand, Slough took the
bench in the Adult Criminal Division
of the San Bernardino County Court in
2003. Two years ago, she moved to the
Juvenile Court Division — and a different
way of doing things.
“There’s no jury, so it rests solely on
me to decide on what will happen to the
kids,” she said. “My decisions are very
complex and often heart-wrenching.”
Thanks to programs like CASA, Slough
admits her verdicts are a little easier to
render. She takes comfort knowing there
are people in the community and beyond
who are devoted to helping kids lead
better lives.
CASA was implemented in 1977
by Seattle Superior Court Judge David
Soukup. It has a network of more than
59,000 volunteers nationwide who have
served more than 240,000 abused and
neglected children.
Kara Hunter, program manager for
CASA’s San Bernardino branch, said there
are more than 5,000 children living in
San Bernardino County who need help.
“We want to get that message out there
that ordinary community members can
get involved with our program and help
change the lives of so many kids,” she
said. “They deserve to be happy and paid
attention to.”
One aspect of CASA that Slough is