A resolution commending Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, for her public service.

        [Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 107 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 107

Commending Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia
Court of Appeals, for her public service.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 14, 2005

Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Stevens, Mr.
Voinovich, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Levin, Mr. Coburn, Mr. DeWine,
Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. Brownback) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs

April 28, 2005

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Commending Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia
Court of Appeals, for her public service.

Whereas Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of
Appeals, entered Federal Government service in 1973 as the first woman
to be appointed General Counsel of the National Capital Housing
Authority, then a Federal agency;
Whereas, from 1975 to 1977, the Honorable Annice M. Wagner served as People's
Counsel for the District of Columbia, an office created by Congress to
represent the interests of utility consumers before the District of
Columbia Public Service Commission and the District of Columbia Court of
Appeals;
Whereas, in 1977, the Honorable Annice M. Wagner was appointed by President
Carter and confirmed by the Senate to serve as an Associate Judge of the
Superior Court for the District of Columbia;
Whereas, while serving as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, the
Honorable Annice M. Wagner served in the civil, criminal, family,
probate, and tax divisions and served for 2 years as presiding judge of
the probate and tax divisions;
Whereas, while serving as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, Annice M.
Wagner served on various commissions and committees to improve the
District of Columbia judicial system, including serving as chairperson
of the Committee on Selection and Tenure of Hearing Commissioners, and
as a member of the Superior Court Rules Committee and the Sentencing
Guidelines Commission;
Whereas, as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, Annice M. Wagner served as
chairperson of the Court's Advisory Committee on Probate and Fiduciary
Rules and was largely responsible for the implementation of new rules
intended to streamline and clarify procedures regarding missing,
protected, and incapacitated individuals;
Whereas, as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court, the Honorable Annice M.
Wagner served as chairperson of the Task Force on Gender Bias in the
Courts, which conducted a comprehensive study of bias in the courts;
Whereas, under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District of Columbia courts
established the Standing Committee on Fairness and Access to the Courts
to ensure racial, gender, and ethnic fairness;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner was appointed by President George H.W. Bush and
confirmed by the Senate in 1990 to be an Associate Judge of the District
of Columbia Court of Appeals;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner was appointed in 1994 to serve as Chief Judge of the
District Court of Appeals;
Whereas, while Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Annice
M. Wagner served as Chair of the Joint Committee on Judicial
Administration in the District of Columbia;
Whereas, under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District of Columbia courts
initiated the renovation of the Old District of Columbia Courthouse (Old
City Hall) in Judiciary Square, a National Historic Landmark, for future
use by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals;
Whereas, under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the District of Columbia courts
initiated the master planning process for the renovation and use of
unused or underutilized court properties, which will lead to the
revitalization of the Judiciary Square area in the Nation's Capital;
Whereas, under Annice M. Wagner's leadership, the Court of Appeals, along with
the District of Columbia Bar, the District of Columbia Bar Foundation,
and the District of Columbia Consortium of Legal Service Providers,
established the District of Columbia Access to Justice Commission, a
commission that will propose ways to make lawyers and the legal system
more available for poor individuals in the District of Columbia;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner served as President of the Conference of Chief
Justices, an organization of Chief Justices and Chief Judges of the
highest court of each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and
the territories;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the
National Center for State Courts;
Whereas the Honorable Annice M. Wagner commands wide respect within the legal
profession nationally, having been selected to serve as one of 11
members of the American Bar Association's Section on Dispute
Resolution's Drafting Committee on the Uniform Mediation Act, which
collaborated with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform
State Laws in promulgating the Uniform Mediation Act, which, in 2001,
was approved and recommended for enactment in all of the States, to
foster prompt, economical, and amicable resolution of disputes through
mediation processes which promote public confidence and uniformity
across state lines;
Whereas, since 1979, Annice M. Wagner has been involved with the United Planning
Organization, which was established in 1962 to conduct initiatives
designed to provide human services in the District of Columbia and she
has served as Interim President of the Organization's Board of Trustees;
Whereas, since 1986, Annice M. Wagner has participated as a member of a teaching
team for the Trial Advocacy Workshop at Harvard Law School;
Whereas Annice M. Wagner, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of
Appeals, was born in the District of Columbia and attended District of
Columbia Public Schools and received her Bachelor's and law degrees from
Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan; and
Whereas Annice M. Wagner's dedication to public service and the citizens of the
District of Columbia has contributed to the improvement of the judicial
system, increased equal access to justice, and advanced public
confidence in the court system: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate commends the Honorable Annice M. Wagner
for her commitment and dedication to public service, the judicial
system, equal access to justice, and the community.
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