Formal Letter to a Judge

[mombiev]

I have been asked to write a letter to a judge. Having been out of school since 1970, my skill in this regard is very rusty.

Since I am unsure of how to address this man, I am turning to you for help. Specifically, I need to know the salutation, how to address him in the body of the letter, and an appropriate closing with respect to his status.

Any assistance from you will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Bankbuddy]

Though your situation may not be the same, here is a citation that references how to approach the task and has some samples. How to Write a Letter to the Judge for Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence, and Child Abuse

I have been a country prosecutor and, trust me, if your letter was perfect the judge would think your lawyer wrote it and just ignore it. Write from your heart. Say what you feel. Be confident. Do not fix all the errors. Make it look like it came from your kitchen table. And ... don't take offense at this... STOP WORRYING SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT THE LETTER LOOKS LIKE AND WRITE THE DAMN THING. I used to tell DV victims to do this:write an entire page top to bottom and do NOT (1) re-read anything you wrote, or (2) correct or change any spelling or grammer. Now, ready set GO!!!!!

Don't be mad at me, I am trying to get you to focus on what is important.

[Ouisch]

Robpioli, I appreciate your insider advice concerning a victim of domestic abuse or physical attack writing a judge, and I can understand the tactic of a handwritten letter riddled with spelling errors will make the victim appear downtrodden and will elicit sympathy. But we don't know the purpose or intent of the original poster's letter. He may well be writing on behalf of a company asking the judge to appear at their annual meeting as a keynote speaker. In that case, he'd want the letter to look as professional as possible.

Mombiev: A Federal Judge is addressed as:
The Honorable (full name)
Judge, United States District Court
(address)
The proper salutation is Dear Judge Last Name:

A state or local judge is addressed as:
The Honorable (full name)
Judge of the Court of (Place name)
(address)
Salutation: Dear Judge Last Name:

You'll find some traditional formats for formal letters on this page.

[Bankbuddy]

Excellent advice, I agree.

[Naamplao]

Robpioli: Thank you for the insight into writing a victim statement. I imagine your advice would be similar for someone asking for parole. But I also agree with Ouisch that before advice can be given on how to write this letter we must first know the purpose of the letter.