“Amy really cares about her community,” said Chu, who worked with Meredith as a prosecutor before becoming a judge. “She’s always trying the hardest cases, working late hours, having endless meetings with witnesses and detectives and administrative staff. She’s always on top of it. She’s one of those people who always keeps on going until she achieves her goal in a case.”
Chu nominated Meredith for AFSCME’s Never Quit Service Award, our union’s way of recognizing public service workers who go above and beyond the call of duty. Meredith, a member of AFSCME Local 1624, was selected to receive this month’s award.
Meredith says bringing justice to the victims of crimes is a big responsibility that she takes seriously.
“You want to make sure that you don’t make any mistakes because you have defendants who are charged with very serious crimes,” she says. “You want to answer as many questions as you can for the jury, and you want to make sure that you don’t prosecute anyone who is innocent. It’s a heavy burden but it’s also an important one. That’s why I love my job. I’m fair to the defendants but I seek justice for the victims and the victims’ families.”
As she works hard to keep her community safe, Meredith says, she is proud to be a member of AFSCME.
“Our union is a wonderful support system,” she says. “Being part of my union helps me focus on my job as a prosecutor and better serve the public.”
Meredith has two children, an 11-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. They sometimes see her in the news, when she’s trying high-profile cases.
“They know how passionate I am about what I do, and I believe I am showing them how important it is to be a community leader,” she says. “We love our time when we are together as a family.”
What motivates her to go above and beyond, she says, is that “even with the frustrations and the late hours, at the end of the day you’re seeking justice and equality in our courts and our community. My entire career, I have been fighting for that in the courtroom and in our community. I will not stop that fight until there is nothing left to be done.”
