Emily Cole

Absolutely one of the most well liked bench officers, and by that I mean by both the defense and prosecution. Even though she came from a prosecution background, she goes out of her way to exhibit empathy for defendants and their personal and mental health challenges. She’s blunt and direct when it’s called for, and sensitive and human when it’s appropriate. And she has one of the best senses of humor from a judge that I’ve come across in 33 years of practicing criminal law. You need that, in my opinion.