[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 20, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               LANE JUDSON--EVA MURILLO UNSUNG HERO AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 20, 2016

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the bi-partisan Congressional Victims' 
Rights Caucus (VRC) works as a advocate for crime victims. Jim Costa 
(CA) and I founded the VRC 10 years ago when we were first elected to 
Congress. During its 10 year existence, the VRC has taken the lead in 
protecting programs that provide critical support for victim services 
throughout the nation, including the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), 
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Each year the members of the 
caucus join together to honor outstanding individuals who have given 
their time and service to helping victims. This year marks the 10th 
anniversary of the Caucus.
  On behalf of Congressman Costa (CA) and myself, we are proud to honor 
Lane Judson with the Eva Murillo Unsung Hero Award. Mr. Judson was 
nominated for the Unsung Hero award by Congressman David Reichert of 
the 8th District of Washington. This award honors the memory of Eva 
Murillo, a prominent crime victim advocate in the state of California. 
Murillo, who passed away in 2005, was best known for her twelve years 
of distinguished service to the Kings County Victim Witness Assistance 
Program, where she pioneered efforts to help women in abusive 
relationships. The honoree is a crime victim or survivor, who has 
experienced a personal tragedy and triumphed over adversity. This award 
recognizes a person who has utilized his or her experiences as a crime 
victim or survivor to promote public education and awareness, public 
policy development, and/or greater awareness about crime victims' 
rights and needs. Through his or her efforts, the recipient has given 
hope to other crime victims and survivors.
  Mr. Lane Judson has done just that--on April 26, 2003, Lane Judson's 
daughter, Crystal was fatally shot by her husband who also happened to 
be the Police Chief of the Tacoma, Washington Police Department. The 
shooting came one day after city officials publically announced that 
Crystal's claims of abuse and threats would not be investigated because 
it was a ``private matter.'' After losing his daughter, Mr. Judson 
dedicated his life to helping and supporting victims of domestic 
violence.
  He was instrumental in the creation of the Crystal Judson Family 
Justice Center in Tacoma, WA, which was established in 2005 to serve 
the needs of the domestic violence victims and their children by 
providing comprehensive victim services in order to help families heal 
and bring them hope. Mr. Judson also led the fight to incorporate the 
Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program into the 2006 
Violence Against, which created a grant available to law enforcement 
agencies to use in training their officers in the area of domestic 
violence.
  Mr. Judson has turned unimaginable tragedy into positive action to 
advocate on behalf of all domestic violence victims. Mr. Judson is an 
incredible person. We know his daughter's memory lives on in his fight 
to end domestic violence. We are proud to honor him with the Eva 
Murillo Unsung Hero Award.
  And that is just the way it is.

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