[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 44 (Thursday, April 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3688-S3689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

SENATE RESOLUTION 107--COMMENDING ANNICE M. WAGNER, CHIEF JUDGE OF THE 
     DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURT OF APPEALS, FOR HER PUBLIC SERVICE

  Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Stevens, Mr. 
Voinovich, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Levin, Mr. Coburn, Mr. DeWine, 
Ms. Landrieu, and Mr. Lautenberg) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs:

                              S. Res. 107

       Whereas Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of 
     Columbia Court of Appeals, entered Federal Government service 
     in 1973 as the first woman to be appointed General Counsel of 
     the National Capital Housing Authority, then a Federal 
     agency;
       Whereas, from 1975 to 1977, the Honorable Annice M. Wagner 
     served as People's Counsel for the District of Columbia, an 
     office created by Congress to represent the interests of 
     utility consumers before the District of Columbia Public 
     Service Commission and the District of Columbia Court of 
     Appeals;
       Whereas, in 1977, the Honorable Annice M. Wagner was 
     appointed by President Carter and confirmed by the Senate to 
     serve as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court for the 
     District of Columbia;
       Whereas, while serving as an Associate Judge of the 
     Superior Court, the Honorable Annice M. Wagner served in the 
     civil, criminal, family, probate, and tax divisions and 
     served for 2 years as presiding judge of the probate and tax 
     divisions;
       Whereas, while serving as an Associate Judge of the 
     Superior Court, Annice M. Wagner served on various 
     commissions and committees to improve the District of 
     Columbia judicial system, including serving as chairperson of 
     the Committee on Selection and Tenure of Hearing 
     Commissioners, and as a member of the Superior Court Rules 
     Committee and the Sentencing Guidelines Commission;
       Whereas, as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, 
     Annice M. Wagner served as chairperson of the Court's 
     Advisory Committee on Probate and Fiduciary Rules and was 
     largely responsible for the implementation of new rules 
     intended to streamline and clarify procedures regarding 
     missing, protected, and incapacitated individuals;
       Whereas, as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, the 
     Honorable Annice M. Wagner served as chairperson of the Task 
     Force on Gender Bias in the Courts, which conducted a 
     comprehensive study of bias in the courts;
       Whereas, under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District 
     of Columbia courts established the Standing Committee on 
     Fairness and Access to the Courts to ensure racial, gender, 
     and ethnic fairness;
       Whereas Annice M. Wagner was appointed by President George 
     H.W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate in 1990 to be an 
     Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals;
       Whereas Annice M. Wagner was appointed in 1994 to serve as 
     Chief Judge of the District Court of Appeals;
       Whereas, while Chief Judge of the District of Columbia 
     Court of Appeals, Annice M. Wagner served as Chair of the 
     Joint Committee on Judicial Administration in the District of 
     Columbia;
       Whereas, under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District 
     of Columbia courts initiated the renovation of the Old 
     District of Columbia Courthouse (Old City Hall) in Judiciary 
     Square, a National Historic Landmark, for future use by the 
     District of Columbia Court of Appeals;
       Whereas, under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District 
     of Columbia courts initiated the master planning process for 
     the renovation and use of unused or underutilized court 
     properties, which will lead to the revitalization of the 
     Judiciary Square area in the Nation's Capital;
       Whereas, under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the Court of 
     Appeals, along with the District of Columbia Bar, the 
     District of Columbia Bar Foundation, and the District of 
     Columbia Consortium of Legal Service Providers, established 
     the District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission, a 
     commission that will propose ways to make lawyers and the 
     legal system more available for poor individuals in the 
     District of Columbia;
       Whereas Annice M. Wagner served as President of the 
     Conference of Chief Justices, an organization of Chief 
     Justices and Chief Judges of the highest court of each of the 
     50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories;
       Whereas Annice M. Wagner served as Chairperson of the Board 
     of Directors of the National Center for State Courts;
       Whereas the Honorable Annice M. Wagner commands wide 
     respect within the legal profession nationally, having been 
     selected to serve as one of 11 members of the American Bar 
     Association's Section on Dispute Resolution's Drafting 
     Committee on the Uniform Mediation Act, which collaborated 
     with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform 
     State Laws in promulgating the Uniform Mediation Act, which, 
     in 2001, was approved and recommended for enactment in all of 
     the States, to foster prompt, economical, and amicable 
     resolution of disputes through mediation processes which 
     promote public confidence and uniformity across state lines;
       Whereas, since 1979, Annice M. Wagner has been involved 
     with the United Planning Organization, which was established 
     in 1962 to conduct initiatives designed to provide human 
     services in the District of Columbia and she has served as 
     Interim President of the Organization's Board of Trustees;
       Whereas, since 1986, Annice M. Wagner has participated as a 
     member of a teaching team for the Trial Advocacy Workshop at 
     Harvard Law School;
       Whereas Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of 
     Columbia Court of Appeals, was born in the District of 
     Columbia and attended District of Columbia Public Schools and 
     received her Bachelor's and law degrees from Wayne State 
     University in Detroit, Michigan; and
       Whereas Annice M. Wagner's dedication to public service and 
     the citizens of the District of Columbia has contributed to 
     the improvement of the judicial system, increased equal 
     access to justice, and advanced public confidence in the 
     court system: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate commends the Honorable Annice M. 
     Wagner for her commitment and dedication to public service, 
     the judicial system, equal access to justice, and the 
     community.

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I am submitting a Senate resolution 
to commend Chief Judge Annice M. Wagner of the District of Columbia 
Court of Appeals for more than 32 years of public service. As the 
Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs, which has oversight jurisdiction of the District of Columbia 
courts, I believe that it is important to recognize the contributions 
of Chief Judge Wagner who will be retiring this year. As chief judge of 
the D.C. Court of Appeals, she has worked closely with the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on various issues related to 
the D.C. courts and the justice system in the District.
  Chief Judge Wagner entered Federal Government service in 1973 as the 
first woman to be appointed General Counsel of the National Capital 
Housing Authority, then a Federal agency. Subsequently, she served as 
People's Counsel for the District of Columbia, an office created by 
Congress to represent the interests of utility consumers before the 
District of Columbia Public Service Commission and the District of 
Columbia Court of Appeals.
  Chief Judge Wagner was twice confirmed by the Senate. First, in 1977, 
when she was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to serve as an 
Associate Judge of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia and 
again when she was nominated by President George H. W. Bush, in 1990, 
to serve as an Associate Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals. She was 
later appointed, in 1994, to serve as chief judge. During her 28 years 
of service in the D.C. courts, she served in every division of the D.C. 
Superior Court, and served for two years as presiding judge of the 
Probate and Tax divisions. She also served on various commissions and 
committees, including serving as chairperson of the Committee on 
Selection and Tenure of Hearing Commissioners, Chair of the Joint 
Committee on Judicial Administration in the District of Columbia, and 
as a member of the Superior Court Rules Committee and the Sentencing 
Guidelines Commission.

[[Page S3689]]

  Chief Judge Wagner has also demonstrated a commitment to improving 
access to justice. To this end, she served as chairperson of the 
Court's Advisory Committee on Probate and Fiduciary Rules and was 
largely responsible for the implementation of new rules intended to 
streamline and clarify procedures regarding the affairs of missing, 
protected, and incapacitated individuals. She also served as 
chairperson of the Task Force on Gender Bias in the Courts, which 
conducted a comprehensive study of bias in the courts and, under her 
leadership, the District of Columbia courts established the Standing 
Committee on Fairness and Access to the Courts to ensure racial, 
gender, and ethnic fairness.
  More recently, under her leadership, the Court of Appeals, along with 
the District of Columbia Bar, the District of Columbia Bar Foundation, 
and the District of Columbia Consortium of Legal Service Providers, 
established the D.C. Access to Justice Commission, a commission that 
will propose ways to make lawyers and access to justice more available 
for poor individuals in the District of Columbia.
  Chief Judge Wagner's work at the D.C. courts also extends beyond 
legal issues. As the space needs of the District of Columbia courts 
continued to grow beyond their current building, Chief Judge Wagner led 
the effort to examine solutions to resolve the courts continued space 
problems. Her efforts led the D.C. courts to plan and initiate the 
renovation of the Old Courthouse/City Hall in Judiciary Square, a 
National Historic Landmark, for the future use by the D.C. Court of 
Appeals. In addition, as Congress enacted new legislative mandates on 
the courts which further increased their space needs, under her 
leadership, the District of Columbia courts initiated the master 
planning process for the renovation and use of all court properties in 
Judiciary Square. This effort will result not only in the improvement 
of court operations, but is expected to lead to the revitalization of 
the Judiciary Square area in the Nation's Capital.
  Chief Judge Wagner's service also extends beyond the boundaries of 
the District. She has served as President of the Conference of Chief 
Justices, an organization of chief justices and chief judges of the 
highest court of each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, 
and the territories, as chairperson of the Board of Directors of the 
National Center for State Courts, and as one of eleven members of the 
American Bar Association's Section on Dispute Resolution's Drafting 
Committee on the Uniform Mediation Act which collaborated with the 
National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in 
promulgating the Uniform Mediation Act, which, in 2001, was approved 
and recommended for enactment in all the States, to foster prompt, 
economical, and amicable resolution of disputes through mediation 
processes which promote public confidence and uniformity across state 
lines.
  Chief Judge Wagner's dedication and service to the District of 
Columbia and to the judicial system are highly commendable and warrant 
our recognition.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

                          ____________________