BY KARYL ANN ARMBRUSTER
LWV
Our next Lunch with a Leader will be on August 21 from 11:45-1PM at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall on Sage. Our speaker will be Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Catherine (Katy) Taylor. Judge Taylor was born and raised along with four brothers on California’s Central Coast, a 5th generation of a farming family. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Santa Clara University, Catherine interned with the California Governor’s Office and subsequently went to work on behalf of the banking industry.
Intending to broaden her career in banking regulation, Judge Taylor started law school at the University of San Francisco. But during her second year, as part of a criminal law class, she was assigned to represent two clients with criminal charges in San Francisco Superior Court. That experience resulted in Catherine’s career path taking a remarkable turn, focusing on public service in the criminal courts. After graduating and passing the California bar in 2000, Catherine spent eight years as a Deputy District Attorney, prosecuting misdemeanors and felonies, before taking time off when her two children were born. Upon returning to practice, Judge Taylor prosecuted California-licensed attorneys for ethics and professional responsibility violations for the California State Bar until her family relocated to Los Alamos for her husband’s job.
Elected Magistrate Judge in 2022, Judge Taylor will speak on the anatomy of a court case, from arrest to sentencing, and the rules of law that guide that process.