The Mother’s Justice Show: Judge Nyjat Rose‑Akins on Justice, Humanity, and the Power of the Local Bench
Nyjat Rose-Akins sits in the 1150 KKNW Studio in Bellevue, Washington on Monday afternoon. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
By Omari Salisbury
On this week’s episode of the Mother’s Justice Show on 1150 AM KKNW, I sat down with Judge Nyjat Rose‑Akins, a King County District Court pro tem judge who is now running to make it official and be elected to the bench.
Over the course of the conversation, we dug into her judicial philosophy, her immigrant journey, how she sees the role of district courts in everyday life, and what it really takes to restore public trust in a system so many people feel has written them off.
Rooted In Community From Kingston to King County
Judge Rose‑Akins’ story starts in Kingston, Jamaica, where she was born and where much of her family still lives. She immigrated to the U.S. at age seven, grew up in Miami, and went on to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., before coming to Seattle for law school at Seattle University.
She became a United States citizen right here in King County, and this is the only place she has ever voted. That connection is part of why she says this community matters so deeply to her.
Rose‑Akins came to Seattle initially on business, went back East, then made the decision to return for law school and stayed. She met her husband here, built her career here, and chose to build a life in this region.
Nyjat Rose-Akins (left) and Omari Salisbury (right) sit in the Hubbard Radio Seattle studio in Bellevue, Washington on Monday afternoon. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
The Path to the Bench
Becoming a judge wasn’t always on her radar, but becoming a lawyer was.
She said she’d been telling people, since the age of seven, that she was going to be a lawyer. There were no attorneys in her family, but she loved Perry Mason and Matlock and had seen serious violence up close: her father had been shot in Jamaica. Even if she couldn’t name it as a child, she sensed that the law had something to do with accountability and healing.
Key milestones in her career:
In 2010, she was hired into the Seattle City Attorney’s Office under then–City Attorney Peter Holmes.
She has over 12 years of experience handling criminal and civil matters for the City of Seattle, focused on non‑violent behavior and community livability.
She has six years of experience as a King County District Court pro tem judge, the last three years full‑time, filling in for judges across the county.
As a pro tem judge, she makes probable cause determinations, imposes sentences, presides in criminal, civil, protection order, and small claims matters, and, in her words, tries to “apply the law fairly while respecting the humanity of each person involved.”
Omari Salisbury (left) and Nyjat Rose-Akins (right) sit across from each other in the 1150 KKNW Studio in Bellevue, Washington on Monday afternoon. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
What Does a District Court Judge Actually Do?
For a lot of people, the layers of courts (municipal, district, superior, court of appeals, state supreme court) are confusing. Judge Rose‑Akins broke it down clearly.
In King County, Seattle Municipal Court and King County District Court handle similar types of criminal cases:
Misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors (offenses punishable by 364 days or less in jail).
Small claims
Selected civil trials
Protection orders and other civil matters
Above that, King County Superior Court takes on more serious criminal cases and higher‑dollar civil disputes.
King County District Court is one of the busiest courts in the state, handling 10,000+ cases a year, with 25 judges on the bench. From traffic tickets to protection orders, this is where most people are likely to encounter the justice system.
Her Judicial Philosophy: Listening, Context, and Humanity
When asked what the role of a district court judge really is, Rose‑Akins didn’t start with the statute book—she started with listening.
For her, the essentials of the job are:
To listen to everyone: Hear from both sides, not just rubber‑stamp one party or the other.
Understand the person, not just the file: Read the case, look at the person’s history, ask questions about work, family, life circumstances, etc.
Recognize that every case is important, because every case involves a human being’s life and future.
She stressed that in district court especially, most people, if they’re sentenced to jail at all, will return to the community fairly quickly. That means the question can’t just be, “How do we punish?” It must also be, “How do we return you to being the best version of yourself?”
That can look like community service that directly repairs harm to the community, connecting people to treatment, services, or other supports, and reserving jail for when it’s truly necessary, and not as the default
Her bottom line: “We can hold people accountable and still be compassionate. Both are necessary.”
Nyjat Rose-Akins sits in the 1150 KKNW Studio in Bellevue, Washington on Monday afternoon. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
Justice vs. What’s “Just”
We went deep on a question a lot of people wrestle with: Is there a difference between “justice” and what’s “just”?
Rose‑Akins’ take: “What’s just” can be highly subjective, living in the “mind and heart of the person” making the call. “Justice,” as she sees it, is about whether the outcome is fair, even if not everyone agrees with it.
Fighting Cynicism and Building Trust in the System
In a time where people say “the system is rigged” as a matter of course, Rose‑Akins talked about the work it takes to build trust from the bench.
For her, that means treating everyone with dignity, not assuming that everyone walks in trusting the process, especially Black folks and others who have historically been mistreated by the system. It also means showing, through her conduct, that she’s not just talking at people, but talking to them.
That work extends to basic things like postponing cases when it’s clear a person needs an interpreter so they can truly understand what’s happening and making sure defendants feel that their case was actually considered, not just processed.
As she put it, respect is both earned and given, and for her, it starts with the court giving it first.
Nyjat Rose-Akins (left) and Omari Salisbury (right) sit in the 1150 KKNW studio in Bellevue, Washington on Monday afternoon. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
Community, Culture, and Showing Up Off the Bench
Rose‑Akins doesn’t see her role as limited to the courtroom. She made it clear she’s active in community beyond the robe:
Member, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) – engaged in scholarship, service, and support for Black families and youth.
Board member, Columbia Legal Services – working on issues that especially impact immigrants and marginalized communities, including dignity and fair treatment under the law.
Participates in mentorship, scholarship reviews, and youth engagement, including work with the United Negro College Fund.
She shared a story of a young woman who ran up to her at a UNCF event and said, “You were my judge!”—not in a mock trial, but in real court for a traffic ticket. The young woman remembered that Judge Rose‑Akins had treated her with kindness and taken the time to explain what was going on.
That encounter, for Rose‑Akins, was a reminder that how you treat people in their hardest moments stays with them, and that judges are part of community, not above it.
Civics, Voting, and Why These “Down‑Ballot” Races Matter
A big part of our conversation hit on something we see all the time at Converge: people don’t realize how much local offices impact their daily lives.
Rose‑Akins pointed out that many people don’t even know that judges are elected, and that district court judges are often tucked down near the bottom of the ballot, despite handling the bulk of everyday justice.
We talked about the need for more civics education, especially in Black communities, understanding ourselves as shareholders in this country, and how local races shape potholes, public safety, school curriculum, and neighborhood investment far more directly than many federal offices.
Rose‑Akins herself is a naturalized citizen, and she doesn’t take the vote lightly. Her first time voting was in her mid‑20s, and she’s been committed to showing up every election since.
The Person Behind the Robe
We also made space to get to know who she is off the bench. Rose-Akins is a serious cook, she loves experimenting with Pacific Northwest ingredients, enjoys hiking, rock climbing, CrossFit, and Olympic weightlifting. She once placed third in her weight class and age group in a local competition and was headed to regionals before COVID shut it down.
It’s clear she brings that same mix of discipline, resilience, and joy to her work on the bench.
Nyjat Rose-Akins poses in the Hubbard Radio Seattle studio in Bellevue, Washington on Monday afternoon. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
Why She’s Running, and How to Learn More
Judge Nyjat Rose‑Akins is running for King County District Court, Position 1 (Seattle). While the assignment of which communities a judge serves can shift based on the presiding judge, this position is elected by Seattle‑area voters.
Her case to voters rests on:
Experience:
16+ years in public service
12+ years with the City of Seattle
6 years on the district court bench as a pro tem, countywide
Reputation:
Rated “Exceptionally Well Qualified” by six bar associations, including her peers in the legal community.
Approach:
Deep commitment to fairness, listening, and humanity
Focus on restoring and building public confidence in the courts
A belief that every case, and every person, matters
To learn more about her campaign, visit electnyjat.com
Listen to Rose-Akins’ full interview on The Mother’s Justice Show here.
Tune in to The Mother’s Justice Show Mondays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on 1150 AM KKNW.
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