Serendipitous Sighting Leads To 'Thank You' For Judge Who Changed A San Joaquin Co. Deputy's Life
STOCKTON (CBS13) — A chance encounter between a judge and a young man she sentenced in court some 40 years ago.
The man is now a prominent city leader who posted a picture of the random reunion on social media. The photo is now getting a lot of attention. San Joaquin County Undersheriff Steve Walker believes it was a "serendipitous sighting."
"If I wasn't wearing this pink patch, she wouldn't have noticed it. And if she didn't introduce herself I wouldn't have known who she was," he said.
As he was leaving lunch at the Stockton Golf and Country Club on Tuesday afternoon, he was stopped by a small group.
"There was a table of some nice older ladies and as I was walking past, one said, 'Excuse me. Can I ask what the pink patch is for?"' he said.
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He explained the patch was in honor of breast cancer awareness month and part of a campaign to raise funds for the cause.
"She says 'Oh, that's nice. I'm a retired judge.' I said you're Judge Ann Chargin?" he added.
He said the name not only stuck out because she was the first female judge in the city, but because he credits her for changing the trajectory of his life.
"I said, 'You're not going to believe this, but 40 years ago when I was 18, I stood in front of you for disturbing the peace. I was arrested and came before you,'" said Walker.
Just several years into her career with a whole lot to prove, he said, Chargin threw the book at him.
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"I'll never forget the name. I can still see the nameplate on the bench in front of her," he said.
She gave him a 90 day suspended sentence and a year of probation.
"I thought the sentence was harsh," he said. "She was kind of like a Judge Judy. She was very matter of fact."
Chargin also gave him some stern words about making better life choices.
"It scared me. Maybe that was her intent and it actually changed my life. It made me enlist in the United States military," he said.
Walker eventually became a law enforcement officer and is now the second in command at the sheriff's office.
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"I think things happen for a reason and this was the arrow to point me in the right direction," he said.
He said he gave the now 96-year-old retired judge a big hug and snapped a photo as proof to others you can learn from your mistakes.
"I must have told this story a thousand times to my children, to kids I've counseled as part of my job; even to people who've been arrested to say even I've been arrested, we all make mistakes, but we can do better," he said. "She thanked me. She said in this profession we don't get a lot of thank you's. It was nice to hear. I think she's a fantastic lady, a fantastic judge and I'm glad she's a part of my life."
CBS13 reached out to Chargin for her response to this chance encounter. Despite being 96 years old, she still drives and lives a very busy life. Her neighbors tell us she's a remarkable lady who has likely changed countless lives.