[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E56]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE KATHLEEN AKAO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2006

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise along with Congressman Sam Farr 
to pay tribute to the Honorable Kathleen Akao, her invaluable 
contributions to Santa Clara County and her longstanding dedication to 
upholding the integrity of our justice system.
  Kathleen Akao was born in Long Beach on September 28, 1948 to Tokio 
and Lillian Katayama. She graduated from San Jose State University in 
1971 with a Bachelors Degree in English and received her law degree 
from Santa Clara University in 1981.
  In Santa Clara, Kathleen served as President of the Asian Law 
Students Association and later as Staff Attorney with San Jose's Asian 
Law Alliance, where she worked with many recent immigrants to the Bay 
Area. Kathleen was admitted to the California Bar in 1982 and 
immediately joined the State Bar's Subcommittee on Redress, working to 
seek recognition and restitution for Americans interned during World 
War II, an issue of particular resonance to Kathleen, whose mother had 
been interned during the war. Kathleen's personal experiences and 
dedication to understanding issues in-depth gave perspective to her 
work as a community activist, a lawyer and a judge.
  Kathleen held a private law practice, and later, served as Deputy 
Public Defender for Santa Clara County. From 1986-1994, she worked for 
Santa Cruz County as Assistant County Counsel. In 1991, Kathleen's 
husband, James Akao, passed away at the young age of 46--a great loss 
for both Kathleen and their son, Kristoffer.
  In 1994, Kathleen Akao became the first Asian American attorney in 
California to successfully challenge and unseat an incumbent Superior 
Court judge. Her victory highlighted her commitment to the public 
justice system and represented a landmark accomplishment in the Asian 
American community.
  However, Kathleen's greatest achievement was the indelible mark she 
left on the community for her outstanding work with juveniles and 
families. She took a keen and genuine interest in providing the best 
options for juveniles and families who found themselves in her 
courtroom. In 1999, Kathleen established a county Drug Court, which 
coupled penalties with treatment programs, proving her commitment to 
the rehabilitation process. She believed in fair decisions for all and 
devoted her time to Teen Peer Court, a system under which juveniles may 
have their sanctions decided by their peers.
  Kathleen died on November 27th, 2005--her untimely passing was due to 
heart failure following a biopsy procedure. She will always be known 
for her integrity and fairness both in and outside of her courtroom. 
She was compassionate and generous, and had an uplifting sense of 
humor. Colleagues said she treated everyone with dignity and respect, 
approached problems pragmatically, and always sought to improve and 
expand the ways in which she served the public. Through her innovative 
and selfless work with her community and her tireless efforts to rule 
her courtroom fairly, Kathleen shaped and improved the lives of those 
around her.
  Judge Akao is survived by her son, Kristoffer, her father, Tokio 
Katayama, her three brothers, Danny, Robert, and David, and a legacy of 
service, integrity and compassion for our community to share and 
uphold. We will all miss her.

                          ____________________