[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 38 (Monday, March 4, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN RECOGNITION OF JUDGE ALICE A. LYTLE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 4, 2019

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, it is with sadness that I rise to 
recognize the life of the Honorable Alice Athenia Lytle, who passed 
away on December 21, 2018 at 79 years old. Judge Lytle was not only an 
incredible leader as California's first African-American woman Superior 
Court Judge, but as a loved and respected mentor and advocate for 
children and families. Today, I ask my colleagues to stand with me in 
the memory of her remarkable legacy.
  Judge Lytle was born on March 2, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey as the 
eighth of ten children to Lacey and Margaret Lytle; a family that was a 
part of the Great Migration of African-Americans north from the Deep 
South. She was raised in New York's Harlem neighborhood, where her 
passion for advocacy and social justice was fostered. She studied at 
Hunter College in New York City where she earned her Bachelor of Arts 
degree in Physiology. She then attended Hastings College of Law and 
served as the secretary and president of the Black Law Students 
Association and was a member of the Student Faculty Curriculum 
Committee and Academic Standards Committee. During her studies, she was 
a law clerk for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored 
People and other attorneys in private practice. Ultimately, Judge Lytle 
worked with Governor Brown as Chief of the Industrial Relations' 
Division of Fair Employment Practices with the Department of Industrial 
Relations and later as the Secretary of the State Consumer Services 
Agency.
  In 1983, Judge Lytle was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the 
Sacramento Municipal Court and later served as Presiding Judge of the 
Municipal Court and Master Calendar Judge for unlawful detainer 
matters. Some of her greatest and most memorable accomplishments are 
reflected by her time as the Lead Judicial Officer for juvenile 
dependency cases. As Lead Judicial Officer, she created a mentor 
program for the youth called the SacraMentor Program, she established a 
Healthy Teen Mothers Program, and served as a mentor for pregnant teens 
while working with the Birthing Project. Significant financial 
contributions and services to programs that benefit underprivileged 
youth are the direct product of her clear dedication to young people 
and their well-being.
  Madam Speaker, today we honor the marvelous life of Judge Alice 
Athenia Lytle; an aunt, a sister, a leader, and beloved public servant. 
Alice is a true Sacramento treasure in our community. She will be 
remembered for her courage, kindness, and wisdom.

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