metro
Beyond The Bench from page 13
Rewarding Results
Most of the defendants who appear before
Small do not live in the 48th District, but
have committed offenses within the com-
munity.
"I'm pretty tough on crime in general;'
she said. "I want to keep the standards
high ... I don't want to see this beautiful,
safe community deteriorate'
Although most of the publicity about
Small has centered on cases involving
drunk drivers, Small's docket is filled with
many other criminal matters that include
domestic abuse, shoplifting and robbery
as well as preliminary proceedings for fel-
onies such as murder or child molestation.
She says the most gratifying part of her
job is when someone makes the decision
to change.
"I can't do it for them, but I can be a
catalyst," she said.
She has files of letters and emails from
defendants, many of whom she sentenced
to jail, thanking her for taking a tough
stance. Some have sent her the recovery
tokens they have earned for each year of
sobriety.
"When I get discouraged, I take out that
file," Small said.
"Judge Small is a pleasure to practice
law with," said West Bloomfield Township
prosecutor Jeffrey Sherman. "Is she serious
about drunk driving cases? Yes; it's a very
serious crime."
Small acknowledges that treatment is
often necessary for those with substance
abuse problems, but she also considers
each defendant's previous rehabilitation
efforts.
"Some don't need another treatment
center — they need a wake-up call;' she
said. "Relapse is not a part of recovery;
relapse is a lack of commitment. One of
my greatest strengths as a judge is that I
do not enable people."
Rabbi Yisrael Pinson, recovery consul-
tant and former director of Friendship
House in West Bloomfield, a program that
provides support and services for Jewish
people struggling with addiction, appreci-
ates Small's refusal to be an enabler.
"When we try to help families, the big-
gest challenge is getting the enablers to
stop enabling:' said Pinson."The justice
system is the one place where we need to
say, `The buck stops here: If all else fails
and someone ends up in the justice sys-
tem, and the system enables that person,
then we're failing as a society."
Pinson has found that tough conse-
quences such as jail often provide the
catalyst that leads the addict or alcoholic
to begin a serious recovery program.
"When I hear that someone's case is
going to be heard by Judge Small, I'm
thrilled," Pinson said. "I'm thrilled for
the addict and for the family because I
know there will be no enabling, no special
regard for that person's power, money or
connections."
14
October 20•2011
•••
In her court office, a Lego Yoda figure made by one of her daughters is a symbol of not
trying, but doing.
Pinson said that numerous recover-
ing addicts and alcoholics, locally and
throughout the country, attribute their
sobriety to the judges who imposed harsh
sentences.
"Over and over, I hear people say that
the judge who threw them in jail saved
their lives:' he said.
On the flip side, Small finds the most
frustrating part of her job is dealing with
people who are unable or unwilling to
change.
"When I watch people stuck in so much
pain, not willing to open their eyes and
change ... watching the effect their deci-
sions have on the people in their lives ..."
Small, who has a "passion for youth:'
says she appreciates the opportunities for
community outreach that her judgeship
provides. She speaks often to students,
parents, civic organizations, and church
and synagogue groups about a variety of
topics that include responsible decision-
making, criminal sexual conduct, and how
to talk to kids about drugs and alcohol.
She is involved in the "Critical Life Choices
Program" for middle and high school
students, which uses actual criminal pro-
ceedings and an interactive multimedia
presentation to help teens learn how to
make wise choices. "We need to be as pro-
active as possible' she said. "It does take a
community to raise a kid."
Small serves on several committees
dedicated to preventing domestic violence
and child abuse. She has volunteered at
a rape crisis center and also meets infor-
mally with victims of domestic abuse to
provide counsel and support.
Family And Jewish Ties
Small considers raising her two daugh-
ters, now students at the University of
Michigan, the most important of all her
accomplishments, personal and profes-
sional. When the girls were still in their
teens, she declined to be considered for a
position as a U.S. Attorney.
"I was told it was a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity, and I answered that raising
my kids is also a once-in-a-lifetime oppor-
tunity," she said.
Working at the 48th District Court,
in close proximity to her home and her
daughters' schools, made it easier to meet
the often-conflicting demands of family
and career.
"That flexibility was really important,"
she said.
Although her daughters are in col-
lege, family is still an important part of
Small's life. She has a father who resides in
Florida, a sister in Chicago and a brother
in Metro Detroit. She enjoys close relation-
ships with all of them. Her mother passed
away unexpectedly in 2005, which turned
her world "upside down:'
She found comfort in her faith-based
philosophy, which includes what she calls
"an unshakable belief in God" that has
grown stronger over the years.
Bloomfield Hills had very few Jewish
families when Small's parents made the
move from Detroit in the mid-1960s.
As the only Jewish student at Vaughn
Elementary, she remembers being
shunned by a prospective friend after the
girl learned that Small was Jewish. As a
high school cheerleader, she was bullied by
members of an opposing school's football
team. She said she did not realize how
much she had been affected by her Jewish
background until she ran for judge.
"I realized that I abhorred injustice
of any kind, in large part because of the
discrimination I experienced growing up
in Bloomfield Hills," she said. "They didn't
know Jews. They thought we had horns
and were evil."
Small is a member of Temple Israel,
where she has served on the board of
directors. Her grandparents were founding
members.
She has a strong commitment to
Israel, which she has visited three times.
She attended a recent convention of
AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs
Committee) and found it "fascinating:'
"Everyone should go:' she said. "There
will always be anti-Semitism; therefore,
there must be an Israel:'
In addition to continuing her work on
the bench and within the community,
Small's future plans include developing
a program to help children make opti-
mum use of their minds so they can lead
focused and empowered lives.
"I want to continue to be close to my
kids and to God, and to continue to grow:'
she said. I I