Saratoga News

Speaker: Judge Leonard Edwards

Domestic violence, neglected children are topic of address

By Michelle Alaimo

Community members will have a chance to hear Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Leonard P. Edwards speak on domestic violence and neglected children in Santa Clara County at the Saratoga Community Library Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The Friends of the Saratoga Library are sponsoring the forum.

Edwards has an extensive background in juvenile justice and family relations and is the supervising judge of the family relations division of Superior Court in Santa Clara County. The judge has used his knowledge to establish several successful community organizations, including the Juvenile Court Judges of California, which works to raise the level of appreciation and visibility of working with children.

In addition, Edwards is the co-founder of the Santa Clara County Domestic Violence Council and chairman of the Family Violence: State-of-the-Art Court Programs committee. The Santa Clara Domestic Violence Council serves as a national model for other courts and social services agencies.

Edwards, who received his law degree from the University of Chicago, said he is happy that programs he established are doing well. "I believe that human beings can have a positive impact on their fellow human beings," he added.

Another program established by Edwards, Child Advocates, offers one-on-one support to abused or neglected children going through the court system.

Part of the judge's discussion in January will focus on helping neglected and abused children make positive contributions to community life, Edwards said.

Besides serving as a judge, Edwards has also taught juvenile and family law at the University of Santa Clara Law School, Stanford Law School and the California Judicial College. He is also a published author on a number of juvenile and family law topics and co-authored the book Child Abuse and the Legal System with his wife, Inger Sagatun-Edwards.

For his efforts, Edwards was awarded the California Peace Prize by the California Wellness Foundation earlier this year, and received the 1996 Franklin N. Flaschner Award recognizing him as the nation's most outstanding judge in a court of special or limited jurisdiction.

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