New Delhi : Tejal Mehta, an Indian-American woman, has been sworn in as the first justice of the Ayer District Court in the US state of Massachusetts. Mehta, who had previously served as an associate justice with the same court, was selected for the position and sworn in by Judge Stacey Fortes, chief justice of the District Court, on March 2. Mehta has promised to make a real impact on the community and treat people with compassion. She believes that being a judge will allow her to get to the root of issues and talk to people in a way that really gets through to them. Judge Margaret Guzman, who previously served as the first justice of the Ayer District Court for five years, praised the selection of Mehta and described her as someone “who will preserve the pattern of treating people fairly.” Several members of Mehta’s family, including her 14-year-old daughter, Mena Sheth, attended the ceremony. Mena quoted US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg when discussing her mother, saying “My mom is the exact embodiment of this quote. Through her kindness and outgoing personality, she encourages people to share her understanding of the world. Being a judge has given her the ability to see and do what’s best and I can’t think of anyone better to have that responsibility.”