Judge Sherry L. Powell has been on the bench since 2021. She serves as a criminal court judge in Los Angeles County. Judge Powell worked in the educational publishing and printing fields for 20 years before acquiring her J.D. at UCLA School of Law. She earned a B.A. in English, with a creative writing emphasis, from California State University, Long Beach.

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Powell served as a Deputy District Attorney for the County of Los Angeles. The majority of her legal career was spent prosecuting sex crimes, domestic violence, elder abuse and hate crimes. During this time, Judge Powell served on the board of the Southeast District Bar Association and taught the Project LEAD program to 5th grade students. The program, developed in partnership with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, provides students techniques for resolving conflict, resisting peer pressure, and promotes tolerance and respect for diversity.

Judge Powell is an active member of the International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges, the California Judicial Association LGBT Judicial Officers of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and serves on the Los Angeles Superior Court Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Judge Powell enjoys traveling with her wife. Some of the most unforgettable travel moments include remote hiking in the Icelandic highlands, tent camping in Botswana and dry dock camping in Denali National Park.