Abraham.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS – Dozens of motorists reacted with astonishment when Magistrate Yvonna Abraham walked into Courtroom 3 at the 20th District Court to begin her morning docket on Tuesday, June 17.

Perhaps some were surprised because she does not fit the stereotype one may have formed about a magistrate. Abraham, 33, was the state’s youngest attorney appointed as a magistrate when she assumed her duties in January 2012. She handles explanation hearings on a daily basis, but also occasionally conducts informal hearings and oversees criminal arraignments. 

Many of the people waiting were there to respond to civil infraction tickets. Those familiar with the process at the 20th District Court know that they have the opportunity to plea their case in hopes that their civil infractions will be reduced. 

Before Abraham heard pleas, she thoroughly explained to those in the courtroom the two options an individual can take when disputing a traffic ticket: admit responsibility with an explanation, or deny responsibility. If an individual denies responsibility, the case is then referred to a judge and the individual must return at a later date for a formal hearing.  

It quickly became evident that Abraham was not going to treat her docket like an assembly line.

“I consider each case and circumstances independently,” Abraham told The Arab American News. “Each ticket is accompanied by different conditions and I try to be sensitive to every individual situation while still holding them accountable for their actions.”

She listened carefully, as one after another, individuals stood before her and explained why they received a traffic violation. She determined whether a particular violation could be reduced, based on one’s driving record and the severity of the citation. 

While Abraham does give eligible individuals a break with an impeding traffic reduction, it is often because they have a respectable driving record or she’s willing to give them one last chance. She whole-heartedly implements a “three-strikes-and you’re-out” ideology in her courtroom. 

Abraham often uses a method with young drivers that isn’t typically practiced at many courts. In one instance, a 16-year-old driver returned to court with a parent, along with a handwritten letter that explained the importance of what having a license meant to him. He had seen Abraham the week before for a speeding ticket.

Abraham said she implemented this method after noticing an increased trend in careless driving among young drivers. Her office is stacked with dozens of letters from local teens who were cited for various driving offenses. She takes this approach with young drivers so that responsible driving is implemented into their day-to-day lifestyle. 

Despite aiming to make well balanced decisions, Abraham is often bombarded by people looking to get special treatment. However, she makes it clear that no one is going to get special privileges at the 20th District Court.

“It is important for me as a judicial officer to always exhibit fairness,” Abraham said. “It doesn’t matter to me what race, age, religion or sexual orientation someone is. I want every person in here to feel that I’m going to treat them with respect, and the same applies to members of my community.”

After serving only two years as a magistrate in Dearborn Heights, Abraham had the honor of being elected as a faculty member for the Michigan Association of District Court Magistrates, where she assists in conducting yearly seminars to train and certify new magistrates. She received news this week that she was elected to fill a vacant directorship position for the association, beginning in July. 

The magistrate position is just one of two hats Abraham wears at the 20th District Court. 

She is also the director of the probation department, where she oversees the day-to-day operations of her staff which includes probation officers, work program director, and court security. If she is not hearing cases in the courtroom, she’s having one-on-one interviews and reporting with defendants who are placed on probation with the court.    

On a daily basis, Abraham is often monitoring individuals who were placed on probation for such offenses as driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, domestic violence or larceny. She said her method comes from a rehabilitation angle, more than a punitive one. Her office, plastered with words of encouragement and inspirational quotes, aims to make every probationer who walks through her door feel as comfortable as possible. She greets them all with a smile and calls them by their first names. 

One local Arab American college student at the mid-point of his probation sentence, reported in with Abraham for a monthly update; engaged in conversation with her and optimistically shared that he’s no longer using narcotics and received an “A” on his final exam in school. 

Abraham said she believes her age has made her more relatable to young probationers, who might have gone down the wrong path and often just need to be steered in the right direction. She stated that witnessing probationers learn from their mistakes and turn their life around is the most fulfilling part of her job. 

“I want them to recognize that what they’ve done in the past doesn’t have to define them,” she added. “You can move forward and create a future for yourself. Of course, that doesn’t apply to everyone. You can’t help them all, but it doesn’t prevent me from trying.” 

Abraham considers her role as a mentor at the courthouse an important one. She has dedicated much of her time to creating and implementing an internship program with the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She routinely interviews college students who are interested in the program and mentors them as they get a first-hand experience with the judicial system. 

Abraham said she’s thankful for having her own mentors when she began her stint at the courthouse. She credits 20th District Court Judges David Turfe and Mark Plawecki for being influential in her career. 

She added that the internship program is her way of paying it forward for the opportunities presented to her when she was a college student. After growing up in Dearborn’s southend, Abraham attended the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where she received a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing. Afterwards, she attended the University of Detroit-Mercy, where she graduated in 2006 with a Jurist Doctorate.  

Abraham said she aims to be an inspiration to younger Arab women in the community who are looking to receive an education and kick-start a career. In her spare time, Abraham is a board member for several local organizations. She’s also an adjunct professor at Lawrence Tech University. She credits teaching with helping her implement similar principles in her day-to-day activities at the courthouse.  

She’s a board member of the Arab American Women’s Business Council, a non-profit organization that addresses the needs of Arab American women professionals and business owners, as well as young women seeking professional or business careers in the state. The council facilitates mentorship, internship, scholarship and professional development programs. 

“As women, we will always face obstacles and struggles in a professionally male dominated world, but more so for Arab American females due to diversity within our own culture,” Abraham added. “The best advice I could give to young Arab American girls is to pursue their dreams and educational aspirations by finding a mentor they can relate to and use as a sounding board. I was fortunate enough to have several throughout my education, as well as my career.”