b"\x02Romio BarrosDepartment of Transportation and Parking Violations Bureau, Supervising JudgeMember since 1988The following is a summary of Romio Barros oral history interview from December 9, 2016. Romio Barros started out as an arbitrator for the City as an independent contractor. He was a lawyer with a privatepractice and was looking for additional work. In the beginning, it was once a week at the Transit Adjudication Bureau as anAdministrative Law Judge.My first experience as an Administrative Law Judge made me a little nervous. Nobody wants to pay the fines. It'sone sided; you're listening, youre going to decide whether they're telling the truth or not. It's just your decision as theAdjudicator. This was a good experience. Many judges for Parking came there and they said: Romio, what are you doinghere? Why don't you come to Parking? So, two, three of the very experience judges in Parking prepped me, induced meto come there. It wasnt a full-time job; it was per diem. It wasnt a full-time job until I became a supervising judge.After working as an Administrative Law Judge for about a year part time, he was promoted to one of six supervisingjudges. I wanted to be a supervising judge because you are a full-time employee and you get all the benefits. When I applied, I didnt think I would have much of a chance since I wasnt a senior judge. A senior judge and the supervisingjudge make the same amount, but the supervising judge is an employee, and gets the benefits. I had experience. I hadmy practice in Tanzania, I was admitted in three bars, in England, Tanzania and here. I had a masters in political science. I worked for the UN for five years in Brazil, so I said: Ive got all this experience. If you want me to act as a supervisor, thatexperience is always helpful, I'm sure you agree with that.They agreed and I got the promotion. But I didnt hear rightaway. I applied to the Taxi Limousine Services.Because I was per diem, I was able to work there for a short period of time.Then the chief judge called me and said: Ive already got five and you're going to be that sixth judge. I said: When doyou want me to start? He said: Tomorrow, full-time. Romiro Barros had already held three different positions by now. The other five judges were women. I was onethorn with five roses. He was honored to work with them as well as all the prominent judges he was supervising. He wasgrateful for the work experience and all the benefits, health, vacation, retirement plan.Romiro Barros brought a very full background of experience to his work. He was born in 1935 in Iringa, Tanzania. His father was a civil servant there and was awarded the MBE, Member of the Order of the British Empire. Romiro Barrosremembers meeting Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philips. This experience encouraged him to become politically active.When war came to Tanzania, he was sent to a Jesuit school in India. He attended St. Xaviers College where he beganstudying to be a doctor. He did not like medicine and switched to an engineering program. While studying in India, he became very interested in politics. He was a student leader. In his role as a student leader, he visited the Soviet Union,166 "