Tulare County (Visalia)
VISALIA — As a single mother of two boys, one of them autistic, Judge Jennifer Shirk doesn’t buy many excuses, particularly when defendants in her misdemeanor court claim theft was the only way to support their family.
On those occasions, the lifelong resident of agricultural Tulare County will challenge the criminals to think outside the box, reminding them what a valuable resource the region’s plethora of local farms ... (continued)