Court Announces Employee Service Awards for 2012

Chief Justice Leigh I. Saufley, of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, today announced the recipients of the Maine Judicial Branch performance awards for 2012.

Chief Justice Saufley announced that Tamara Rueda of Lewiston is the Outstanding Judicial Employee of the Year. This award is conferred upon that person who best exemplifies the qualities of competence in providing court services, commitment to public service, respect, courtesy to fellow employees and members of the public, and a willingness to learn and grow. Tamara is a Field Operations Specialist, employed by the courts since 1988, who was specially assigned for ten months as the Interim Clerk for the District and
Superior Courts in Oxford County. The Chief Justice observed that, "while we have many truly superb clerks through out the state, Tamara's ability to step into an unfamiliar office and provide leadership at a time when it was critical to improving public service, made her work stand out among all others this year. It is truly a pleasure to recognize Tamara for the work she has done to improve public service in the Oxford County courts.

The Roy Rice Award is given to that person, group, or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the safety and well being of the employees of the Judicial Branch and people who participate in court activities. Chief Justice Saufley announced that this year's winners are Deputy Marshal Louise Brilliant of Bowdoin and Deputy Marshal Bruce Britting of South Portland, both 10 year veterans of the Judicial Marshal Service. The Chief Justice said, " The Courts are all too often dangerous places. Deputy Marshal Brilliant, who works in the West Bath District Court, successfully intervened when another marshal was attacked and was being choked in the District Court. The attacker later broke the window of the police cruiser on the way to jail. She deserves special recognition for putting her own safety aside to make the courts safer for others. Deputy Marshal Britting has earned a reputation, at the Cumberland County Courthouse, as a "go-to" employee. In recent years he has played an essential role in the training of new marshals. They both exemplify marshals who, at great personal risk, work every day to make Maine courts safer for Maine people."

The Chief Justice said, "One of my most pleasant tasks every year is to simply read all the nominations submitted for these awards. And while we can only publically recognize a handful of Judicial Branch employees for their public service, the ones we recognize also represent their peers: their fellow nominees and employees. These are the people who understand that serving the public is truly a privilege. The individuals that we recognized today, as well as their colleagues who were nominated, consistently go beyond their job descriptions and reasonable job expectations and inspire all of us to achieve more for the public good."