[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E578-E579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 24, 1999

  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Representative 
Barbara Lee of California for organizing this Special Order on behalf 
of the Congressional Black Caucus to honor Women's History Month and to 
celebrate the contributions of Women of Color.
  As the newest member of the Congressional Black Caucus and as a 
former municipal Judge and Prosecutor for Cuyahoga County, I wanted to 
use this time to honor my former colleagues of the Cuyahoga County 
Judicial system who have served as a source of inspiration for me for 
many years. They are my friends, colleagues and more importantly my 
sistahs.
  Each of these women are trailblazers in their own right who deserve 
to be recognized for their years of dedication to serving, protecting 
and upholding the laws of Ohio and our Nation.
  The first person I want to honor is Judge Lillian Burke the first 
black woman judge in Ohio. Judge Burke is a graduate of Ohio State 
University and received her JD from Cleveland State University. She was 
admitted to the Ohio bar in 1951 and began practicing general law from 
1952-1962.
  Ms. Burke was an assistant Attorney General for Ohio as well as a 
member of various professional and civic organizations. She was 
appointed to the Cleveland Municipal Court where she eventually became 
Chief Judge.
  Jean Murrell Capers: Judge Jean Capers graduated from Case Western 
Reserve University in 1932 and earned her JD from Cleveland Law School 
in 1944. She was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1945 and began practicing 
law that same year. Ms. Capers ran unsuccessfully three times for the 
Cleveland City Council before she won in 1949. She was elected four 
subsequent times to two year terms.
  She also worked for the Phillis Wheatley Association and became 
involved in community endeavors, including lobbying for a federal anti-
lynching bill.
  In 1977, Ms. Capers was appointed Cleveland Municipal Judge and was 
re-elected but was forced to retire in 1986 because of an Ohio law that 
requires Judges to retire at age 70.
  Judge C. Ellen Connally, the senior Judge of the Cuyahoga Municipal 
Court, is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and received her 
JD from Cleveland State University as well as a Masters of Art degree 
in American History from Cleveland State and she is currently enrolled 
in the Ph.D. program in American history at University of Akron.
  Judge C. Ellen Connally was first elected to the bench in 1985, 
elected beginning in 1985 to Cleveland Municipal Court and is currently

[[Page E579]]

the senior judge of the court. She is a former President of the 
Northern Ohio Municipal Judges Association and has served for the past 
seven years as its Secretary/Treasurer.
  Judge Connally, formerly served as chairperson on the Youth Violence 
Committee of the Task Force on Violent Crime and the Mayor's Advisory 
committee on Gang Violence.
  She is a former member of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater 
Bowling Green University and in 1994-1995 she served as president of 
their Board of Trustees and served as the chairperson of the 
presidential search committee. She also served as past president of the 
Northern Ohio Municipal Judges Association.
  Mr. Speaker, the next person I want to recognize is Judge Mabel 
Jasper. She received her BS degree form Kent State University in 1956 
and her JD from Cleveland Marshall Law School in 1977.
  Prior to election to the Cleveland Municipal Court, she served as 
general trial referee for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas--
Domestic Relations Division. She was also an Assistant Attorney General 
for the state of Ohio, and was employed as a trial attorney for the 
Bureau of Workers Compensation for three years.
  Judge Jasper is a member of many civic and professional organizations 
which include: Ohio State Bar Association; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; 
and First woman member of the Rotary East club, a mostly all male 
organization.
  The next person I want to honor is Judge Angela Stokes. Her name may 
sound familiar to many in this chamber because she is the daughter of 
my predecessor, Representative Louis Stokes.
  Angela received her BS degree from the University of Maryland, 
College Park and her JD from Howard University School of Law in 
Washington, DC, and is admitted to the Supreme Court of Ohio, the 
United States District Courts and Northern and Southern Districts of 
Ohio and the United States Court of Appeals Sixth District.
  Prior to being elected to the bench. Angela served as an Assistant 
Attorney General for the State of Ohio where she was assigned to the 
Federal Litigation Section in Columbus and later in Cleveland. She also 
worked for the British Petroleum of America corporate law department. 
In 1995 she was elected to the Cleveland Municipal Court.
  Judge Stokes remains active in the Greater Cleveland Community. She 
has dedicated her time and energy to a variety of professional and 
civic organizations: Active Member of the Junior League; Member of a 
non-profit task force SAMM (Stopping Aids is my Mission); she is member 
of the 11th Congressional District Caucus; board member of the 
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Louis Stokes Scholarship fund; and 
member of the Board of Trustees of Cuyahoga County Library Board.
  Judge Keenon is a graduate of the Cleveland Marshall Law School and 
received her BS degree from Tennessee State University. Prior to being 
elected to the bench, Judge Keenon was a teacher and social worker in 
the Greater Cleveland Area.
  Upon earning her JD, Una became staff attorney for the legal aid 
society and was appointed Attorney in Charge of the Juvenile Division 
of the Cuyahoga county Public Defender Office. She also served as 
managing attorney for the United Auto Workers legal services plan. 
Judge Keenon was appointed by then Governor Richard Celested fill a 
judicial vacancy. She subsequently was elected to another full term.
  While on the bench, Judge Keenon established many programs within the 
East Cleveland Municipal Court: Curfew laws for children of the East 
Cleveland community and GED program for young offenders by sending them 
back to school.
  She is a member of many civic and professional organizations: 
President of the Black Women Lawyers; 1st Vice President of the League 
of Women Voters; Co-Founder & 1st President of Black Women Political 
Action Committee; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; and National Council of 
Negro Women.
  Judge Lynn Toler received her BA degree from Harvard University and 
her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
  Lynn was elected to the Cleveland Heights Municipal court in 1994 and 
prior to that Lynn Toler had a distinguished career as an attorney. I 
have highlighted some of the civic and professional memberships as an 
indication of her commitment to her community: Cleveland Chapter of 
Links; Board Member--Board of Trustees Juvenile Diabetes Foundation; 
Cuyahoga County Criminal Justice Services which oversaw funding for 
services related to the criminal justice system; and Board of Trustees 
for the Goodwill Starting Program.
  Another one of my sisters I want to mention during this special order 
is Judge Shirley Strickland Staffold who received her BA degree from 
Central State University and law degree from Marshall College of Law.
  Prior to her election, Judge Staffold was in the criminal division of 
the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Public Defender's office. In 1994 
she was elected to Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
  I want to mention some of the Civic and Professional Associations 
that Judge Staffold is affiliated with as an indication of her 
commitment to our community: Member of the National Bar Association; 
American Judges Association; Ohio County and Municipal Judges 
Association; National Association of Women Judges; and First African 
American women to be elected President of the American Judges 
Association.
  Judge Janet Burney received her BS from Skidmore College and her JD 
from Cleveland State University, Cleveland Marshall College of Law.
  Prior to joining the bench this year, Judge Burney has a long and 
distinguished legal career that has spanned over twenty years.
  Civic and Professional Associations: Member of the state bar of Ohio; 
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio; United 
States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; United States Supreme 
Court; Board of Trustees; St. Luke's Foundation; Inter-church Council 
of Greater Cleveland; Dean of Christian Education at Open Door 
Missionary Baptist Church; and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
  In conclusion Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank my colleague, 
Representative Barbara Lee for organizing this Special Order.

                          ____________________