Reply Dec. 20, 2020 On Tuesday, January 5, Newton Police Task Force Chair Sonja Spears will give an on-line talk exploring how her own experiences inform her work as a social justice advocate and give her hope in the restorative powers of justice. To register for the free presentation, visit www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org/newton-inspires. Subscribe Spears' 7 p.m. talk is part of the 10th annual Newton Inspires: A Celebration of Ideas and Community, a fundraiser for Newton Schools Foundation. Once a month Newtonians — present and former — share their interests and passions via Zoom. While a judge in New Orleans, Spears was wrongfully targeted for criminal prosecution. After two years of investigation, no wrongdoing was discovered so she was cleared and never charged, but the impact of this experience was devastating personally and professionally. After retiring from the bench, she re-dedicated her life to issues of racial justice and equity and now works as the chief equity and inclusion officer at Boston Health Care of the Homeless Program and teaches part time at Tufts University