[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 170 (Monday, November 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H6032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      VIRGIN ISLANDS SUPREME COURT

  (Ms. PLASKETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance 
of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court, the highest court in the Virgin 
Islands of the United States.
  As a member of the bar of both New York and the Virgin Islands, as a 
former prosecutor, and a former political appointee at the Justice 
Department, I understand how important our courts are.
  I congratulate Associate Justice Harold Willocks on his recent 
investiture to the Virgin Islands Supreme Court. He boasts a 
distinguished career of more than 40 years as a jurist, as both a 
prosecutor and public defender, and served in multiple roles within the 
Virgin Islands Superior Court.
  I thank the Virgin Islands Supreme Court for their continued 
commitment to making decisions in the strictest fidelity to justice. 
The independence of our courts has never been more critical. Democracy 
relies upon judicial independence and the ability to deliver impartial, 
prompt decisions in accordance with the rule of law.
  We must keep our courts free from political influence or pressures to 
ensure our judges can make decisions solely on the law and the facts of 
a case. The integrity of the courts will determine the future of our 
Nation.

                          ____________________