Judge's Chance Encounter with Young Boy Leads to Lifelong Mentorship and Legal Partnership

A Pivotal Childhood Encounter

• 💡 In 1997, a 4-year-old Dante Wright and his brother nearly collided with a car while chasing a bicycle into the street.
• 🎯 The driver, General District Court Judge Gamil Po Dexter, stopped and ensured the children were safely returned to their mother, warning of the danger.

Judge Po Dexter's Continued Interest

• 🤝 Judge Po Dexter felt compelled to build a bond with Wright and his family, spending weekends together and taking them to football games.
• ⚠️ When child protective services became involved due to family legal problems, Wright and his siblings were moved, and contact with Judge Po Dexter was lost.

A Second Chance and Mentorship

• 🏠 Recognizing Wright's potential and the risks of group homes for young Black boys, Judge Po Dexter and her husband took him into their home during his high school years.
• 🎓 Wright thrived under their care, graduating high school with honors and earning an academic scholarship to Virginia State University.

Path to Law and Partnership

• ⚖️ Wright pursued criminal justice and then law school, graduating with honors from North Carolina Central's School of Law in 2018.
• 🚀 He passed the District of Columbia bar exam on his first attempt, an achievement he once thought impossible.
• 💼 Today, Wright and Judge Po Dexter, whom he affectionately calls 'mom,' are law partners at Po Dexter and Wright in Smithfield, Virginia.
• ✨ Wright credits his success to Judge Po Dexter's belief in him, viewing her intervention as a profound, life-altering moment, possibly divine intervention.