Candidate for
Judge - Superior Court; County of Santa Clara; Office 21

Bio for Julianne Sylva, Candidate for Superior Court Judge 2014

A lifelong resident of Santa Clara County, Deputy District Attorney Julianne Sylva has protected Santa Clara County citizens for the past 23 years from violent, predatory offenders. She has prosecuted thousands of criminals for offenses ranging from assault to kidnapping. She has spent her career in local criminal justice courts working closely with defense attorneys and judges to pursue justice for all. She has advocated for children for most of the past fifteen years and is widely respected by judges, defense attorneys, law enforcement, community leaders and prosecutors throughout the state. Honesty, ethics, approachability and common sense are her hallmarks. Her strong work ethic and even temperament make her the best candidate for the bench.

In June 2013, Sylva became the county's human-trafficking prosecutor. She works with law enforcement to piece together child sex trafficking cases and with community groups to seek services for the trafficked victims. Sylva does outreach into the community to educate the public on the warning signs of labor trafficking and child sex trafficking.

Sylva also currently serves as the county's truancy prosecutor, an assignment that allows her to work firsthand with educators, social workers, non-profit organizations and county agencies to reduce crime by returning children to school, every day and on time. With support from local judges and others, Sylva developed Parent Truancy court which gives parents of severely truant young children the opportunity to improve their child's attendance and to improve their parenting skills in lieu of prosecution. Sylva co-chairs the county's truancy abatement committee.

Sylva also maintains a caseload of severely abused and neglected children who are accused of law violations and she must advocate as to whether the minors should remain in the juvenile justice court or be provided services through the dependency court.

Recognized as an expert in child abduction investigation and prosecution, Sylva traveled to Mexico City where she served as an instructor for that country's first train-the-trainer program for ¡Alerta Amber! As part of a team of trainers, Sylva taught lawyers, judges, social workers, educators, and media representatives from throughout Mexico about human trafficking concerns, kidnappings by organized crime, and about the human rights of children. Fluent in Spanish, Sylva worked with United States Department of Justice consultants to create and implement the ¡Alerta Amber! warning system.

Sylva's work as a community prosecutor from 2010 to 2012 allowed her to collaborate with the San Jose Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force to reduce crime in San Jose by getting teenagers back to school and by offering their families the opportunity to attend the Parent Project, a 12 week intensive parenting course. Sylva served as the program's director and oversaw courses offered at various locations in the county.

In 2009, Sylva reviewed police reports with the authority and responsibility to determine if criminal charges should be filed. Able to make quick yet sound decisions, Sylva diligently considered the facts of each matter and addressed each case on its merits.

From 2002 through 2008, Sylva led the county's child abduction unit, overseeing a team of investigators charged with locating and recovering children abducted to and from Santa Clara County. Under her supervision, scores of children returned home safely. Her cases were often newsworthy and the experience gave her the training and knowledge to serve the nation as a consultant for the United States Department of Justice in the Amber Alert training program. Sylva chaired the Governor's Child Abduction Task Force and instructed officers, lawyers, social workers and educators about the civil laws, liability, international laws, and family code laws involved in the recovery and return of abducted children. She continues to serve as an ex officio member of this task force.

From 2000 to 2002, Sylva worked in drug treatment court as part of a team that offered treatment services to individuals charged with certain narcotics offenses in lieu of incarceration. She ensured that defendants entering treatment programs were held accountable for failures to satisfy rehabilitation requirements and also oversaw the District Attorney's drug and alcohol home certification program. Sylva trained judges, defense attorneys, treatment providers, county agencies, and others on changes in narcotics laws.

Sylva served as an instructor for the California District Attorney's Association from 1995 to 2010, teaching trial skills to new prosecutors, narcotics laws, and child abduction issues. She taught police cadets at the South Bay Regional Training Center and has trained domestic violence advocates on family law and criminal law provisions in abduction cases.

In 2001 she was invited to instruct for the National Drug Court Institute, offering support and technical assistance to newly formed treatment courts on a national basis. In the early 1990's, Sylva served as an adjunct professor at the Santa Clara University's School of Law teaching trial tactics and she coached Del Mar High School's Mock Trial team for seven years.

Sylva was assigned to the law and motion's team from 1998 to 1999, during which time she researched the law and responded to complex legal questions. In addition, she served as a mentor for new law clerks.

From 1995 through 1998, Sylva handled all probation violations in the county. Sylva exhibited great insight in her decisive and thorough resolutions to every case on this high volume assignment.

From 1993 to 1995, Sylva was assigned to felony trial teams and handled cases such as assault, burglary, kidnapping, robbery, and narcotics sales. From 1991 until early 1993, Sylva was assigned to the juvenile justice division where her caseload included hundreds of felony and misdemeanor offenses brought against young offenders. From October 1990 through October 1991, Sylva was assigned to prosecute misdemeanor offenses in central San Jose and at the Campbell/Los Gatos courthouse.

Sylva worked for one year in a local civil litigation firm where she handled bankruptcy and product liability cases.

Sylva was born in San Jose and was raised in Campbell. She graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law; the University of California, Davis; and Del Mar High School.