[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO JUDGE JOHN MENDOZA

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise before the Senate today to call 
attention to one of Nevada's finest advocacy programs. This year marks 
the 30th Anniversary of the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program, 
CASA. In Clark County, NV, the CASA program became a reality as a 
direct result of the efforts of Judge John F. Mendoza. Today I ask my 
colleagues to join with me in applauding the noble deeds performed by 
Judge Mendoza and the CASA Program.
  Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, John received his juris doctor 
degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1952. After returning to 
Nevada, he eventually served as Clark County district attorney, North 
Las Vegas city attorney, and Justice of the Peace of Las Vegas 
Township. His Honor was elected to district court judge of the State of 
Nevada, a position he held for 24 years. Judge Mendoza served as the 
president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
  During his career, Judge Mendoza recognized the desperate need for 
skilled and timely decisionmaking in the lives of abused, neglected and 
abandoned children, not only in Nevada but across the country. He used 
his knowledge, passion, and energy to educate and extract a level of 
excellence when dealing with caseworkers, parents and court proceedings 
in regard to appropriate needs evaluation and placement. He demanded a 
clear vision of roles and procedures. He held caseworkers responsible 
to the children they represented and answerable to the court for 
decisions they made.
  Judge Mendoza recognized the lack of quality in the court process and 
did not tolerate the unfortunate delays in court hearing dates which 
often resulted in children literally growing up without permanent 
homes. As a result, Judge Mendoza championed national guidelines for 
improving court practices in child protective cases. He helped to 
establish methods for monitoring court schedules to prevent unnecessary 
delays and to control continuances. He urged competent representation 
thru the CASA and guardian ad litem programs. Through his tireless 
efforts, family courts began to take into account not only the 
children's safety but also the emotional impact of separation.
  A lifetime of dedication to the rights of the children of Nevada and 
beyond has resulted in a national program that engages volunteers to be 
a voice for neglected and abused children. Each CASA volunteer in turn 
has an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Judge John Mendoza in 
making a meaningful and constructive difference. Those footsteps lead 
to protecting and preserving the rights and interests of children who 
are unsafe in their own homes; to insuring that all aspects of the 
family court system perform in a child's best interest and secures a 
safe and permanent home for that child.
  I am deeply grateful for the work performed by CASA and its many 
volunteers. The chance to advocate on behalf of someone in need is the 
greatest opportunity afforded to those who serve in our legal system. I 
stand before the Senate today and thank the CASA program and Judge 
Mendoza for these 30 years of remarkable service.

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