[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 25]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 34109]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                PAYING TRIBUTE TO JUDGE CEDRIC A. KERNS

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                           HON. JON C. PORTER

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 12, 2007

  Mr. PORTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Judge Cedric A. 
Kerns, who is being honored as a Bench Trailblazer by the Bicolanos of 
Nevada and Filipino American California Expatriates Society of Las 
Vegas.
  Judge Kerns first became active in the Las Vegas community while 
attending the University of Nevada Las Vegas. During his undergraduate 
years he was a member of UNLV's nationally ranked debate team. After 
receiving his juris doctor from the University of San Diego, Judge 
Kerns became partner and co-founder of the law office of Kerns and 
Lybarger, where he focused on criminal defense and domestic law. During 
his time in private practice, Judge Kerns was appointed as a member of 
the Nevada Supreme Court's Task Force for the ``Study of Economic 
Bias'' in the justice system.
  The experience gained while Judge Kerns was in private practice 
helped him to succeed in being elected to the Las Vegas Municipal 
Court, Department 5, in 1997. During his 10 years as a judge in Las 
Vegas, Judge Kerns has greatly enriched the community, as is evident in 
his being awarded the 2006 Outstanding Judge of the Year Award by the 
Nevada Judges Association. One of the projects that Judge Kerns began 
and has maintained is the Habitual Offender Prevention and Education 
(HOPE) Court. Through his hard work he has helped habitual offenders to 
get sober and off the streets. Judge Kerns also spends time as the Las 
Vegas Municipal Court liaison for Domestic Violence Offenders; he 
serves as a member of the Judicial Council of the State of Nevada, an 
administrative arm of the Supreme Court, as well as being a member of 
the Court Funding Commission of the Supreme Court.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Judge Cedric A. Kerns. Throughout 
his years as a lawyer and judge, he has committed himself to helping 
others and the community. I congratulate him on being recognized as a 
Bench Trailblazer, and wish him well in his future endeavors.

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