Kay Kingsley

Since retiring from her position as a Monterey County Superior Court judge in 2004, 69-year-old Kay Kingsley has traded in her packed court schedule and black robe for more free time and brighter clothing. Donning a bright blue coat and a purple felt hat in an interview with theWeekly, she says she’s enjoying her time off the bench.

“I meet with friends whenever I want, I embroider, I color,” Kingsley says gleefully. “I take naps. Those are fun.”

In her spare time, Kingsley has also made room for another opportunity: helping those with mental illness find affordable housing and manage their lives. In January, she became a board member at nonprofit Interim, Inc., which serves mentally ill clients by providing housing, treatment and other support.

Weekly: You’re a Salinas native. What made you want to stay and work in Monterey County?

Kingsley: When I was younger, I wanted to leave Salinas far behind. But at some point I was graduating from [University of California, Hastings College of the Law], I was divorced and a single mother with a young child. I have connections in this community.

What made you want to go to law school?

My divorce (laughs). There’s this #MeToo movement going on now, and being a young woman I wanted to study law because I thought it would give me some authority. I was getting pushed out of jobs because of some of these same things.

Have you suffered any discrimination because of your gender?

It wasn’t so much discrimination. I was working in jobs where men were in superior positions and they wanted to take sexual advantage of me.

The closest thing to discrimination I faced was when I moved back and was interviewing for an old established law firm in Salinas. They knew my family and they knew me; they called me in for an interview. But when they found out I was divorced with a child, they suddenly withdrew their interest.

Working in law back then, it was very much a man’s career. When I was appointed judge in 1994, I was only the second woman ever appointed in the county in 100-plus years.

But I never wanted to be a lawyer to go on a crusade. I kept my mouth shut on the job and I fought back in little ways. It used to be that women were more overlooked on the job, and there was definitely a “locker room” mentality among men. But that’s changed, and I think it’s going to keep changing for the better.

When did you know it was time to retire?

I was tired. I was more physically tired than mentally tired. People think that I’m just sitting up there all day, but it’s physically demanding. Imagine listening to two months of testimony, and hand-writing notes. I got bad arthritis from it.

When we would break for 15 minutes, my staff would immediately rush to me. I could barely make it to the bathroom.

How did you become a board member of Interim, Inc.?

There are two ways you can become a board member: You can apply or they reach out. I knew their programs. I have a loved one receiving services from [Interim]. I’ve donated for years and a few of the board members knew me and they reached out to me.

We need more board members! The terms are long, 10 to 12 years, but when you term out you can’t be reappointed.

What do most people misconstrue about mental illness?

People don’t see mental health as a real physical disease, and that those who have it badly aren’t trying hard enough to get better. While many personality disorders can be improved with therapy, many mental illnesses are as physical as a disease as diabetes or cancer. Like cancer, it can get worse if it’s untreated and can be managed with support and medication.

I’ve also seen lately many people are connecting acts of violence with mental illness. That creates the perception that mentally ill people are all violent when that’s rarely the case. In most of these cases, there are people with personality disorders. These things could have been prevented early on.

Do you think people’s perception of mental illness is improving?

I think so. There’s more science behind it now and it’s showing that there are real factors that make it hard for some of our clients to keep a job or follow the rules of an apartment. I think people are beginning to see their humanity.