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Vanity Fair - The 2018 Vanity Fair Hall of Fame - Shot by Annie Leibovitz - Judge Aquilina at Veterans Memorial Courthouse in Lansing, Michigan
“Judge Aquilina’s voice is unmistakable: as dynamic, opinionated, and strong as it is empathic, compassionate, and imbued with emotion. Even more remarkable than the power of her voice—“I speak out because I want change,” she says” - by Mariska Hargitay.
Read more here.
Glamour Magazine - Glamour Women of the Year: The Army of Women Who Took Down Larry Nassar - Photography by: Jason Schmidt
“During the proceedings Aquilina asked Nassar whether he wanted to withdraw his plea deal. When he declined, silenced at last, she sentenced him to 40 to 175 years. “There were so many feelings in that courtroom,” says Aquilina. “I felt the anger and the angst. But I could also see girls hugging and helping each other, suddenly a family.”
Read more here.
2020:
CNN Opinion - What Nassar judge did isn't bias. It's empowerment
“Throughout the stunning sentencing hearing in her Ingham County, Michigan, courtroom, Judge Aquilina admonished Nassar, who had pleaded guilty to despicable crimes, while she offered personal words of support to more than 150 survivors who gave victim impact statements about his abuse.
Did the judge get heated? Yes. Should she have done so? Yes. Her response was not a demonstration of bias but of humanity. It was justified.”
Read more here.
2019:
NBC Nightly News: ‘Her Take’ with Cynthia McFadden: Judge Rosemarie Aquilina
“Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, the outspoken Michigan judge who presided over the Larry Nassar sentencing, sits down with NBC’s Cynthia McFadden in an extended interview to talk about how the case changed her life.”
See the whole interview: here.
People Magazine: New HBO Documentary Explores Devastating Toll of USA Gymnastics Scandal — Watch the First Trailer
“Now, HBO’s new documentary — At The Heart Of Gold: Inside The USA Gymnastics Scandal directed by Erin Lee Carr — aims to reveal the dangerous system that allowed Nassar to exploit his position, providing him with opportunities to take advantage of unsuspecting athletes, and get away with it for more than 30 years”
Read more here.
The University Daily Kansan - Judge, victim from Larry Nassar trial speaks at KU on restorative justice
“I think restorative justice is for both the survivor and the defendant, their families and the communities because when we get people talking they start to heal,” Aquilina said, “Restorative justice hopefully is that both sides heal, and in the courtroom, I like to talk to both and tell them they matter, and this shouldn’t define them.”
Read more here.
Photo Credit: Sarah Wright/KANSAN
AP News: Nassar judge, Olympians back USOC oversight push in Congress
"Michigan Judge Rosemarie Aquilina joined the athletes and Colorado’s U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in Denver on Monday to announce the planned introduction of the bipartisan bill Tuesday in the House.”
Read more here.
Fox17: Aquilina Finding New Purpose After Nassar Scandal
“LANSING, Mich. — Judge Rosemarie Aquilina grabbed the world’s attention during sentencing for former sports doctor Larry Nassar in Ingham County in January 2018.
During that seven-day sentencing, she allowed more than 150 women and girls to confront their abuser.
More than a year later, she sat down with FOX 17 to share her thoughts on the importance of that week in her courtroom and her newly-ignited passion to advocate for sexual abuse victims.”
Read more here.
TimesUnion: SEEN: Women@Work Aurora Games Mixer
"The event featured Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, the keynote speaker for the Aurora Games' "Conversations with Champions" series. Aquilina presided over the sentencing of longtime U.S.A. Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar, sending him to prison for 40 to 175 years for molesting girls and young women under the guise of medical treatment. During her talk, she covered and answered questions about safety, self-respect and social justice for athletes.”
Read more here.
The Spokesman-Review: YWCA Spokane announces Women of Achievement honorees
"The keynote speaker at this year’s luncheon is Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who is best known for presiding over the U.S. gymnastics sex abuse trial of Larry Nassar.”
Read more here.
The Arm Cherry Companion: “I just signed your death warrant”: At the Heart of Gold, by Erin Lee Carr, delivers a candid, unsettling look at the USGA scandal
“Near the end of At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, a documentary by filmmaker Erin Lee Carr, Judge Aquilina looks Nassar in the eye and hands him what amounts to a death sentence. Released in 2018, the documentary includes interviews with many of the victims and covers the end of the trial.”
Read more here.
Kris6News: Judge in Nassar trial speaks to CC. Bar Association
"One of the main points Aquilina stressed was the importance of listening. She said that if just one person would have listened to Nassar’s first victim, the abuse would have stopped there.”
Read more here.
NBC News: Judge Rosemarie Aquilina: Jeffrey Epstein's accusers got a day in court because of a judge. Every victim deserves the same.
"It matters to victims who want to testify that they are heard in court. Judges have the ability to give that to them, and they should.”
Read more here.
Hour Magazine - Photographed by Josefina of Josefina Photography
“The name Rosemarie Aquilina, 60, will ring a bell for those familiar with the Larry Nassar scandal. But the German-born judge made history long before taking the bench in Ingham County.”
Read more here.
![CNN - Here's How Women are Empowering Others Around the World“[Aquilina] told CNN she empowers women by "listening, believing and telling them they matter," adding that we need to take it upon ourselves to change the way we think, "for example, PMS …](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c310d289d5abbfa7ed8bbdf/1553216434747-HDNR7ZYA0I5B4EGYB68O/Screen+Shot+2019-03-21+at+9.00.19+PM.png)
CNN - Here's How Women are Empowering Others Around the World
“[Aquilina] told CNN she empowers women by "listening, believing and telling them they matter," adding that we need to take it upon ourselves to change the way we think, "for example, PMS now means promote, mentor, support other women, period."
Read and watch more here.
DailyMail.com: EXCLUSIVE
'If I can't do this I'll walk off the bench': Larry Nassar judge Rosemarie Aquilina hits back at critics demanding she be disbarred for letting pedophile's victims speak in court.
Read more here.
The Washington Post
“Athletes cannot thrive in a system that values money and medals over the safety of athletes,” Aquilina said, “we need to flip the script.”
Read more here.
ESPN: More than a sporting event, Aurora Games give voice to female athletes
"Let's keep the conversation moving forward -- let's never have an athlete, whether they be high school, college or Olympians, be blackballed or blackmailed for using their voice for complaining," Aquilina, who sentenced former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar to up to 175 years in prison for sexual assaults, said during the opening news conference of the event. "Let's make sports safe for everybody."
Read more here.
SEEN Magazine: Behind the SEEN of Judge Rosemarie Aquilina’s ‘Triple Cross Killer’ Book Talk
“Judge Rosemarie Aquilina has a passion for writing crime novels and developing characters. She shared her writing process at a recent talk in Detroit.”
Read more here.
WAMC: Following Marathon Nassar Sentencing, Aquilina Discussing Reform At Albany's Aurora Games
“As one of the keynote speakers, Aquilina is set to hold a workshop at the Albany Capital Center August 21 at 5 p.m., next door to the Times Union Center, where gymnastics is just one of the sports on the docket for the Aurora Games.”
Read more here.
TimesUnion: Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is keynote speaker for Aurora Games Conversations
"Where do we go from here?"
That's the question Judge Rosemarie Aquilina believes the U.S. Olympic Committee and everyone involved in the development of elite athletes must answer in the aftermath of the sex abuse case that sent longtime U.S.A. Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar to prison for 40 to 175 years for molesting girls and young women under the guise of medical treatment.”
Read more here.
News10: Opening Day for the Aurora Games
"Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who sentenced former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar up to 175 years in prison, is the keynote speaker for the Conversations with Champions.”
Read more here.
MaltaToday: American-Maltese judge ‘Barracuda Aquilina’ for Malta Book Festival
"The National Book Council is pleased to present Judge Rosemarie Aquilina as the main guest of the 2019 Malta Book Festival.”
Read more here.
2018:
Admiring Judge Rosemarie Aquilina
“I felt gratitude and admiration for Judge Rosemarie Aquilina who has created space for so many women to find their voice and face their abuser. I am amazed at the capacity of her heart and all it is holding.”
Read more here.
Glamour Magazine: “Judge Rosemarie Aquilina Isn’t Done Listening Yet”
“She made it her mission to give voices to Larry Nassar’s survivors and, in the process, emerged as a fierce support system, eager to create a safe environment for victims of abuse in her courtroom.
Read more here.
Lansing State Journal: Larry Nassar's sentencing gave Judge Rosemarie Aquilina a national audience. And it changed her life.
“Part of Aquilina’s appeal is due to the voice she gave survivors, allowing all who wished to speak at the sentencing hearing to say what they needed to say… “I would have gone for seven months. I would have gone for dozens of days to allow everyone to speak," she said.”
Read more here.
The Oakland Press: Egan's "Death and Life of the Great Lakes" tops Michigan best sellers for 2018
“The Michigan Bestseller List for 2018 lists books about Michigan topics, written by Michigan authors, and/or published by Michigan publishers, compiled by @RonRiekki from 14 Michigan bookstores.”
Read more here.
The Washington Post - Gymnastics victims' champion or avenger? Nassar judge Rosemarie Aquilina stirs controversy.'
“I am not really well-liked because I speak out,” the judge said. “I don’t have many friends because I speak out. If you ask me a question, you better be ready for the answer. I speak out because I want change. Because I don’t believe in hiding the truth. I am not saying I am always right. But I try.”
Read more here.
The Today Show: Judge Rosemarie Aquilina on Nassar assault survivors: ‘They got their power back’
“The judge said Nassar survivors were empowered by publicly testifying against the disgraced doctor during his sentencing hearing.”
You can watch the entire episode and read more about her appearance, here.
Greater Lansing Business Monthly - 2018-19 Newsmakers - Rosemarie Aquilina
“I’m beyond humbled to be recognized by the sister survivors. Their courage, strength and resilience inspire me every day. It’s also an incredible honor to be acknowledged by Glamour and to be in company with the other inspirational women they have recognized throughout the years. From the beginning, the media helped put a spotlight on this case, and now they are continuing the conversation to help create much-needed transparency and change.”
Read more here.
Photo credit: Josefina Photography
Another Perspective on Judge Rosemarie Aquilina
“Distinguished Professor Emeritus Otto Stockmeyer shares his remarks when presenting WMU-Cooley Law School’s Adjunct Faculty award to graduate Judge Rosemarie Aquilina”
Read more here.
Glamour: Why Judge Rosemarie Aquilina Is the Appropriate Avenger for the 'Me Too' Movement
“By the time she rendered her judgment, Aquilina had already emerged as one of the most celebrated avengers within the #MeToo movement—as she held nothing back in her evisceration of Nassar's character and comport, and she reiterated her support and admiration for the victims, whom she addressed as “survivors,” not “victims,” before she went on to address Nassar directly”
To read the full article here.
The Atlantic: The Transformative Justice of Judge Aquilina
“In a courtroom in Michigan, a variety of powerful women redefined what victim testimony can mean.”
Read more here.
The Elegant Warrior Podcast with Guest Rosemarie Aquilina
“Judge Aquilina became famous for the being the Judge for the infamous Larry Nassar case. Her ability to ask questions and listen to the answers allowed the Army of Survivors to come forward and tell their stories.”
You can listen to the podcast here.
WMU: Rosemarie Aquilina: A Voice for All
“Rosemarie E. Aquilina, Ingham County, Michigan, Circuit Court Judge and adjunct WMU-Cooley professor, made news worldwide for her work presiding over the sentencing of disgraced former sports medicine doctor Larry Nassar. Yet, for those from the Lansing area, her reputation for outspoken advocacy was already solid. For Aquilina, giving those in her courtroom a voice was simply business as usual.”
Read more here.
CNN: Read Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's powerful statement to Larry Nassar
"During her powerful statement, Aquilina stopped to directly address Nassar about his guilt after reading from a letter he had written in court defending himself. The judge strongly disagreed, saying: "It was not treatment. It was not treatment what you did. It was not medical."
To read more here.
Working Mother - The 50 Most Powerful Moms of 2018 - Shot by: AP Photo/Paul Sancya
“Judge Rosemarie Aquilina was not a household name until she became the presiding judge in the case of Larry Nassar, the U.S.A. gymnastics team doctor convicted of widespread sexual abuse.”
Read more here.
NBC: Judge Aquilina discusses Larry Nassar case, sexual assault survivors
“He has no idea what he did. He still thinks he’s a good doctor, that it was medical,” said Judge Rosemarie Aquilina. “It’s not medical, sir.”
Read and see more here.
Elephant Journal - It’s Time To Listen
“When Judge Rosemarie Aquilina opened up her courtroom to create and held space for all of the survivors of the Nassar case, she struck a chord with other Sister Survivors, worldwide. We all watched, with bated breath, as she broke society’s judicial norms. She was listening, truly listening. And not only that, but she was offering healing words—words of hope—and lifted every one of them up, in the best way she knew how encouraging them to “go out into the world and do your magnificent things.”
Read more here.
WXYZ Detroit: Judge who sentenced Larry Nassar says she'd like to see John Engler resign
"Would I like to see Engler resign? Yes. Am I pushing for him to? No."
This powerhouse judge had words of wisdom to back up her years on the bench, but this interview was not about the Nassar case. It was about the woman who was raised by immigrant parents with old country values.”
Read more here.