[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 15 (Tuesday, February 22, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  REMARKS OF HON. DEBORAH K. CHASANOW

                                 ______


                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 22, 1994

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to include in the Record some remarks 
made by the Honorable Deborah K. Chasanow who, on December 13, 1993, 
was sworn in as a member of the United States District Court for the 
District of Maryland. She became only the second woman to be appointed 
to that bench and the first person from Prince Georges County, MD.
  In her remarks, she comments on the creation of the Southern Division 
of the District Court of Maryland. As the sponsor of the legislation 
which accomplished that end and one who worked on that objective for 
over a quarter of a century, I have a particular pride in the fact that 
its first two judges will be Judge Chasanow and Judge Peter Messitte, 
who formally served on the circuit court bench in Montgomery County. 
Both Judges Chasanow and Messitte are individuals who display all of 
the characteristics that our fellow citizens would want in persons 
given the awesome responsibilities to judge and dispose. They are 
possessed of keen intellect, high moral values, and unquestioned 
integrity.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that Judge Chasanow's remarks reflect her 
humanity and her insightfulness. It is our expectation that the new 
Federal courthouse in Greenbelt, MD, which will house the southern 
division of the district court, will open for business and be dedicated 
later this year. Judges Chasanow and Messitte will be two of the three 
judges who will preside at that site. I believe it will be an addition 
to our judicial system which will provide more accessible justice to 
our citizens and will meet a need for such a judicial facility long 
unmet.
  I wish for Judges Chasanow and Messitte that God will grant them the 
wisdom, compassion, and courage to judge fairly and decisively as they 
inaugurate a new era in the Federal judicial history of Maryland.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I include the remarks of Judge Chasanow reflecting 
her personal feelings and her observations on the meaning of her 
appointment and her family and for all of us:

       Judge Murnaghan, Judge Niemeyer, Chief Judge Black, Federal 
     Judges, Senator Sarbanes, Senator Mikulski, Congressman 
     Hoyer, Chief Judge Murphy, State judges, public officials, 
     honored guests, family and friends. I am honored by your 
     presence here today. We've already heard from many excellent 
     speakers and I'm afraid if I say very much you'll realize 
     that the nice things they said about me can't be true. Those 
     who know me well appreciate how uncomfortable I am being on 
     center stage and realize that I want the ordeal to end as 
     quickly as possible. But I really must take this opportunity 
     to share some of my thoughts about the Federal court in 
     Maryland.
       Before I do, I want to recognize a few of the people who 
     have been very important in my life. My parents, Helen and 
     Howard Koss; my sister, Tamar Bernbaum; my sisters-in-law, 
     Phyllis Richman, Myrna Chasanow, and Ruth Heitin, and their 
     families. My great aunt Edith Levine, my aunt Lenore Weseley, 
     and long time friends Horty and Bernard Meyer. And the two 
     who have shared this year's journey with me most closely and 
     without whom I would not have survived it: my husband Howard, 
     and my stepdaughter Andrea. It has been an intense year for 
     us and I want to express my gratitude and love to them for 
     their steadfast encouragement and support. There are some 
     people who are not here in person, but who are very much here 
     in spirit. My grandfather continues to be an inspiration, 
     even as the years dim some of the memories. And Howard's 
     parents, Helen and Abe Chasanow. The last time I took an oath 
     in this room, they provided the new robe I donned. I thank 
     Mr. Lewis for bringing their memory more alive today. Of 
     course, there are many, many friends and colleagues here 
     today as well. It is gratifying to see people from so many 
     different stages of my life. Neighbors from Wheaton where I 
     grew up and from College Park where we now live, law school 
     classmates from Stanford, colleagues from the attorney 
     general's office, and of course, those with whom I've worked 
     here in Federal court, particularly the magistrate judges and 
     their staffs, my fantastic secretary Marie Mooney Plapas and 
     all of my wonderful law clerks.
       Over the past year, many people have asked why do I want to 
     be a district judge? That was a very difficult question, 
     particularly because I had to resign from what the insiders 
     know is the best job in the legal community. My reasons for 
     seeking this position include being a part of the 
     inauguration of the southern division and my hope that with 
     Baltimore Federal Court experience, Prince George's County 
     residence, and Montgomery County background I could offer a 
     unique perspective of experience and geography that might 
     prove helpful as we work to get the new courthouse off on the 
     right foot. The real drawback is that now if I want to ask my 
     husband a question, instead of just nudging him, I must put 
     it in writing and certify it to the Court of Appeals, 
     Maryland.
       Recently I was asked by a reporter what I thought about 
     being only the second woman to be appointed to the position 
     of U.S. District Judge in Maryland. I am sorry that the 
     first, Judge Shirley Jones, could not be here today. I know 
     she would agree with me that my new colleagues don't need any 
     sensitivity training, but, on the theory that you can never 
     have too much sensitivity, I have obtained for them a copy of 
     Deborah Tannen's best seller ``You Just Don't Understand, 
     Women and Men in Conversation.''
       I am still amazed that I was appointed to this high 
     position, but I am not at all surprised that a woman was 
     appointed given where we are in 1993. It would only be 
     surprising if, among three new appointees to this court, 
     there had been no woman. The first judicial nomination made 
     by President Clinton was a woman, Justice Ginsberg. Of the 
     next 30 or so nominations, well over a third were women. I 
     have met some of the other women and I am very flattered to 
     be part of that group.
       There is no question that the look of the Federal judiciary 
     is changing. In the not too distant future, the makeup of the 
     Federal bench will much more closely mirror the diversity 
     that is America. I think it is particularly important for 
     public confidence in the judicial system that the bench 
     not be perceived as an exclusive club, reluctant to admit 
     women and minorities. Equality must be the hallmark of the 
     justice we dispense and of the process by which judges are 
     selected. Let me echo the wish of Justice Ginsberg, all 
     women yearn for the day when we can stop counting.
       I also think the significance of my appointment lies as 
     much in geography as in gender. I am deeply honored to be the 
     first Prince George's County resident to be appointed 
     district court judge. While not a native of Prince George's 
     County, I have lived there for more than a decade. Some 
     people might find it unusual for someone to move from 
     Montgomery County to Prince George's County, but let me 
     assure you I had an excellent reason, a wonderful husband 
     firmly rooted to Prince George's County. No, I didn't also 
     have a premonition or any inside information that the new 
     southern division courthouse would be built two miles from 
     our home. That was just luck.
       The southern division has generated controversy over the 
     last few years and was created only after heated debates 
     among the bench and the bar. I hope that the time for 
     conflict is over, and that the time for harmony is here. 
     There is a lot of hard work ahead and cooperative attitude 
     will be essential if we are to make the southern division 
     succeed.
       Let me give you insight into my early geography lessons. I 
     grew up in Montgomery County. My parents still live in the 
     same place they moved to when I was 3 years old. My early 
     view of Baltimore was as a city we traveled through on our 
     way to visit grandparents in New York. Our metropolitan focus 
     in those early years was either Rockville or Washington. 
     Baltimore was far away, literally and figuratively. When I 
     took the bar exam Baltimore seemed so far away that I 
     arranged to stay at a hotel during the exam. Associating 
     Baltimore with taking the bar exam did not help my early 
     feelings about the city.
       Just after the bar exam, I became Judge Cahoon's law clerk 
     and was able to walk to my office in the courthouse in 
     Rockville. Despite my first exposure to Baltimore during the 
     bar exam, I applied here to the offices of the attorney 
     general and the general council to the Human Relations 
     Commission for jobs after my 1 year clerkship. The trips to 
     Baltimore for those interviews were scary adventures for me. 
     I felt about Baltimore as some Baltimore attorneys might 
     initially feel about southern Maryland. Both the attorney 
     general's office and the Human Relations Commission 
     ultimately offered me jobs. It was a difficult choice, but as 
     you all know, I decided to join the attorney general's 
     office. My first day of work was December 22, 1975, and that 
     day began what has now become an 18-year commute from the 
     heart of the southern division to Charm City.
       I soon came to love the city. When Harborplace opened I 
     must have gone there for lunch every day for months. I still 
     try to walk around the harbor on nice days as often as I can. 
     And I am envious of those who live closer and can take 
     advantage more easily than I of Baltimore's cultural and 
     culinary delights.
       It isn't just people like me from the Washington suburbs 
     who have a skewed view of Maryland geography. My first 
     supervisor in the attorney general's office thought 
     everything outside of Baltimore and Annapolis was on Debby's 
     way to work. So I was asked to represent the State in circuit 
     courts all over Maryland on the theory that any courthouse 
     outside of Baltimore City was not out of my way. Throughout 
     it all I commuted each and every day, although I stayed with 
     friends here in Baltimore if the weather got bad or I had to 
     work very late. Sally and Kathleen kept trying to convince me 
     to move to the city, but I resisted. By the way, yesterday 
     while Kathleen and Sally were conspiring about their remarks 
     for today at an undisclosed location in Baltimore, Kathleen's 
     car was stolen. I certainly wouldn't want to be the next 
     accused joyrider to appear in Judge Sweeny's courtroom.
       The criminal division of the attorney general's office 
     offered a wonderful vantage point from which to learn all 
     about this great State. I worked with the State's attorneys 
     from all 23 counties and the city of Baltimore. There were 
     trips to various parts of the State, including a sad journey 
     to Oakland to prepare for arguing the first death penalty 
     case. I walked the last route taken by Deputy Sheriff 
     Livengood during his unfortunate encounter with Richard Danny 
     Tichnell. I also made shorter trips to Towson and Upper 
     Marlboro to help with training sessions and enjoyed pleasant 
     early summer visits to Ocean City to join the State's 
     attorneys at their annual convention. I came away with an 
     appreciation for Maryland geography and the varying 
     backgrounds prosecutors brought to their jobs. I also 
     learned, however, that people with divergent views and 
     experiences can work together to achieve a common goal.
       Then, a little more than 6\1/2\ years ago, I had the great 
     fortune to be appointed as a U.S. magistrate judge. Although 
     there was no southern division at the time, I suspect that my 
     southern division residence was an attribute that contributed 
     to my appointment. My geography lessons continued. While 
     Baltimore was my duty station, I eventually saw not only this 
     courthouse, but also sat in courtrooms in Hyattsville, Ft. 
     Meade, Rockville, and Ft. Detrick. During those years, I came 
     into contact with litigants, lawyers, and jurors from all 
     over the State.
       Maryland is unique in that it is large enough to boast both 
     mountains and seashores, yet small enough that we can travel 
     to each in less than a day. One can canoe the Potomac, sail 
     on the Chesapeake, or surf in the Atlantic. We can enjoy the 
     history of colonial capitals and the vision of planned towns 
     like Greenbelt and Columbia. We can feast on delicacies like 
     the Chesapeake blue crab and St. Marys' stuffed ham almost 
     anywhere. We should also be proud of our regional diversity, 
     but we must strive to work together.
       Now that some of you will be traveling to the southern 
     division area, I hope you will take the opportunity to enjoy 
     the nice things we have to offer and will learn to know and 
     love the southern division as I came to know and love 
     Baltimore. I am sure that those who take the time to explore 
     will come to appreciate the bounty of the southern division 
     counties.
       Aside from a healthy appreciation for the beauty of the 
     entire State, I bring to my new role a grave concern that all 
     people who find themselves in Federal court in Maryland 
     deserve the most efficient, courteous, and competent service 
     we can provide. To succeed, it will take the full effort of 
     all of us to administer justice. The southern division has 
     been created, not to make it more convenient for lawyers and 
     judges, but because having a courthouse in that part of the 
     State will help all of us to serve the litigants better. It 
     is my hope that we can put aside the lingering doubts about 
     whether there should be a southern division. It's here and 
     here to stay. There is plenty of work to do and we cannot 
     afford to be distracted by any regionalism. There is no north 
     versus south. There is a common goal to administer justice in 
     the best possible manner. Two divisions will further that 
     goal because of our cooperative effort. I look forward to 
     working closer to home, but just as closely with my Baltimore 
     colleagues. Although I will be a part of bringing Federal 
     justice to the southern part of the State, I will be a judge 
     not for the southern division but for all of Maryland. My 
     pledge to those here in Baltimore, as to those all over the 
     State, is that I will continue to do my best to advance the 
     high ideals of those who served before me and with whom I now 
     serve. I will strive to justify the confidence expressed by 
     Senator Sarbanes' recommendation and President Clinton's 
     appointment. Thank you.

                          ____________________