VENTURA, Calif. — The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to rename the county’s central trauma-informed victim services facility as the Judge Colleen Toy White Family Justice Center, commemorating a legal trailblazer whose four-decade career reshaped victim advocacy and specialty court systems across the region.
The Board's unanimous approval was announced jointly on Thursday, August 20, 2026, by Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko and County Executive Officer Sevet Johnson.
Located at 3170 Loma Vista Road in Ventura, the newly renamed center stands as a lasting monument to Judge Colleen Toy White (1944–2021), who devoted 41 years of public service to Ventura County prior to her retirement in 2017.
A Four-Decade Career in Public Service and Judicial Innovation
Judge White began her distinguished public legal service inside the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, serving 18 years as a prosecutor—including ten years as Chief Assistant District Attorney.
Elected to the Ventura County Superior Court bench in 1994, she served 23 years as a judicial officer, taking on leadership roles as Presiding Judge, Assistant Presiding Judge, and Family Law Supervising Judge.
Throughout her tenure, Judge White pioneered structural reforms designed to assist self-represented litigants and vulnerable populations. She established the Pro Per Clinic, which laid the groundwork for the court's modern Family Law Self-Help Center. Additionally, she championed the creation of specialty collaborative courts, including Domestic Violence Court, Senior Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Treatment Court.
Community Leaders and Family Reflect on Judge White's Legacy
District 1 Supervisor Matt LaVere praised Judge White's transformative impact on the local legal system:
"The naming of the Family Justice Center in memory of Judge White is a fitting tribute to her unwavering commitment to public service and her profound compassion, fairness, and pioneering work in establishing collaborative and specialty courts," Supervisor LaVere stated. "Judge White had a distinguished career spanning four decades during which she made significant positive impacts through her leadership, service, and commitment to the community."District Attorney Erik Nasarenko highlighted Judge White's core philosophy of empowering crime victims:"Judge Colleen Toy White dedicated her career to making sure victims and vulnerable members of our community had a voice, access to justice and a path toward healing," District Attorney Nasarenko stated. "The Family Justice Center represents so much of what Judge White stood for and is a lasting reminder of her commitment to compassion, dignity and justice."Former District Attorney Michael D. Bradbury and retired Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Murphy both submitted strong endorsements for the renaming. Judge Murphy noted that Judge White revolutionized the DA's Victim Services Division to guarantee victims meaningful participation in prosecutions—a model that later became a national standard.Judge White's husband, Arthur Bliss, accepted the honor alongside District Attorney Nasarenko before the Board of Supervisors:"It’s been five years since she passed and we remember her every day," Mr. Bliss shared. "Her legacy continues with the specialty courts she developed, reflecting her philosophy of rehabilitation rather than incarceration."
Impact of the Judge Colleen Toy White
Family Justice Center Opened in 2019, the Family Justice Center operates as a centralized multi-agency facility where victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking can access legal aid, counseling, law enforcement support, and social services under one roof.
Since its inception, the facility has served over 7,000 adults and children, currently assisting approximately 1,200 crime victims annually. For more information about services or community programs at the Judge Colleen Toy White Family Justice Center, visit the Ventura County District Attorney's Office portal or contact Public Information Officer Joey Buttitta at (805) 767-3400.