Community Advisory Board

   
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Armando Aguilar CADC II is certified alcohol and drug counselor who has been working with individuals struggling with addictions since 2005. He is a former RCP participant who utilized the expungement services in 2010 after being passed over for other positions due to his criminal history. Since then, he has gone on to work in a variety of settings, from supporting those coming out of the criminal justice system for alcohol and drug-related offenses to providing treatment in a medical setting, including to those seeking to get on an organ transplant list due to their substance use. Most recently he began his own business providing school-based substance abuse education to students in both middle school and high school with the goal of addiction prevention.
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The Honorable Shelyna V. Brown is a sought-after presenter, panelist, and trainer with over two decades of experience in the legal and leadership arenas. Judge Brown received her BA from the University of California, Davis, and her JD from Santa Clara University School of Law. Judge Brown served as a public defender fighting for those who did not traditionally have a voice—the low income, immigrants, those suffering from mental health challenges — to protect their constitutional right to appropriate representation. In 2011, CA Governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Brown to the bench in Santa Clara County. Judge Brown has served on several boards and has been recognized for her excellence in advocacy and praised for her contributions to the community. She was awarded numerous honors, the most recently the Santa Clara Law School Social Justice and Human Rights Award. Judge Brown is a dedicated community servant, advocate, and mentor. She promotes opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to visit her courtroom, observe, ask questions, learn about the legal profession, and envision being a voice at the table. 
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DC is an alumnus of San Jose State University, graduating in Fall 2017 with a degree in Business Administration (Human Resource Management). As a first-generation college student, his path towards graduation came with its obstacles, and even more challenges with a criminal record. Following graduation, he pursued a career in his field of study within the tech sector. The RCP gave DC the opportunity to tell his story and empower him to focus on career growth and advancement. As of January 2020, the RCP successfully helped DC file for early termination of probation and expungement. He has continued his career path in Talent Acquisition within the tech sector and is an advocate across diversity initiatives among under-represented minorities.
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Marina Hsieh teaches at Santa Clara University School of Law, where she served as the School of Law’s first Faculty Director of Diversity from 2017-2021 and Assistant Dean for Academic & Professional Development from 2005-2011.  Prior to joining the Santa Clara Law faculty, Hsieh taught at the law schools of the University of Maryland, University of California Berkeley Law, University of California Davis, University of San Francisco, Columbia University, and New York University. Before joining the world of academia, she was a civil rights lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. in New York City. Hsieh clerked for Hon. Louis Pollak, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Hon. John Paul Stevens, Supreme Court of the United States. Hsieh was a member of the California Bar's inaugural Council on Access & Fairness and currently serves as a Legal Committee member for the ACLU of Northern California Chair of the Trustees of Deep Springs College. She has a JD from University of California Berkeley and an AB from Harvard University.
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Sukhi Johal graduated from San Jose State University in December 2019 with a B.S. in Justice Studies and a minor in Economics, a first-generation college student. Sukhi began her internship with RCP in August 2018 where she developed a strong passion for criminal justice reform. Sukhi was President of the SJSU Global Student Network, a student organization promoting appreciation of cultural diversity. She represented the Department of Justice Studies on the Dean’s Student Affairs committee. Upon graduating, Sukhi worked at the Santa Clara County’s Public Defender’s office for almost two years, and is currently working with Santa Clara University’s Office of General Counsel. Interested in the intersection between immigration and criminal law, Sukhi plans on pursuing law school and looks forward to making a continuing impact on her community.
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Virginia Jones, LCSW, EdD, has over 25 years of experience in San Jose working with people in implementing and directing programs in the area to meet the needs of the community in receiving individual, family, and group therapy. She graduated from SJSU with her MSW and received her doctorate from Cal East Bay in Educational Leadership for Social Justice. Virginia has a passion for educating the San Jose community on mental health challenges while lessening the stigmas, barriers, and obstacles that exist in communities of color. She remains active in the community as a consulting director of a faith-based re-entry program, Maranatha’s Mission Possible, which offers support to those recently released from custody. She is an advisor and consultant for Maranatha Outreach Center’s Building Our Own Kids Academy tutoring services. Virginia is registered with the Board of Behavioral Science as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is also skilled at organizing focus groups, workshops, and forums. She collaborates and is affiliated with the San Jose African American Community Service Agency, the Black Leaders Kitchen Cabinet of Silicon Valley, and other Santa Clara County agencies.
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Attorney Shaun Naidu began working on expungement law with RCP Director Peggy Stevenson when he was a summer student at the Stanford Community Law Center in 2005.  Shaun volunteers several times a year to supervise RCP students who are assisting clients in brief legal advice sessions.  He also reviews advanced students' analyses of legal remedies for clients as they prepare court papers seeking to clear records, as he has done for many years.  He is the author of many of the RCP's materials. Shaun has worked in state government for over a decade on public safety, civil rights, and consumer protection matters. He has a JD from University of Iowa Law School and a BA from UC Berkeley.
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WP dreams became realized the day she was granted expungement by the Honorable Judge with the tremendous help of RCP back in 2008. Since expungement, she has had limitless options, such as higher education and job opportunities, and has taken advantage of them all. Working her dream career now, she is currently writing a book in the pre-teen genre, sharing her journey of how to look within to find our authentic selves, our purpose, and how to grow into successful young adults with grace. WP has been clean and sober since December 2001 and frequently shares her experience, strength, and hope with others in Prisons, Jails, Institutions, Group Homes, and Juvenile Halls all over Northern California.
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Anne Rodriguez-Webb is a first-generation college graduate with a degree in Justice Studies and a minor in Legal Studies. She enrolled in RCP as a student for Fall 2017 and graduated from SJSU in Spring 2018. She interned with the California Appellate Project during Summer 2020, working to serve unrepresented condemned inmates housed in San Quentin. Anne is currently attending her second year of law school at UC Hastings, College of Law, and is now on the executive board of the LA Raza Law Student Association where she serves as the Admissions Chair. Her heart is with post-conviction work but is interested in entering the Trust & Estate field. She plans on using her knowledge of estate planning to help marginalized communities prepare for the management and disposal of an estate after a family member has passed. Anne grew up speaking Spanish and is working on her fluency.
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Claudio Vera Sanchez received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2008. His work centers on policing practices in Latino and African American neighborhoods and how those strategies negatively impact youth of color. His work also focuses on the policing of immigrants, police perspectives on communities of color, and programs aimed to redirect youth from a path of prison to college.