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“HONORING CHIEF JUDGE LEE F. SATTERFIELD” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1251 on Sept. 12, 2016.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING CHIEF JUDGE LEE F. SATTERFIELD
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HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
of the district of columbia
in the house of representatives
Monday, September 12, 2016
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield, Chief Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, who will be completing his final term as Chief Judge on September 30, 2016. Chief Judge Satterfield's service has been notable not only for its excellence but for his genuine care for and commitment to serving the people of the District of Columbia.
A proud Washingtonian and graduate of St. John's College High School, Judge Satterfield received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Maryland. From an early age, he drew inspiration from his father, who withdrew his application for a judicial position on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia after hearing that his teenage son had been diagnosed with bone cancer. Chief Judge Satterfield always recalled how his father relinquished his own dreams to help his son through a difficult time of his childhood. His father always told him to deal with people as he would want them to deal with him. The judge's commitment and perseverance are evident in the career path he chose. Throughout his 30-year career, Lee Satterfield has played an important role in the administration of justice. After receiving his Juris Doctor from George Washington University National Law School in 1983, he was appointed to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. In that position, he served in the appellate, grand jury, misdemeanor and felony sections of the United States Attorney's Office.
In September 1988, Judge Satterfield joined the law firm of Sachs, Greenebaum and Taylor, before serving as a trial attorney for the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the United States Department of Justice. In that section, he prosecuted organized crime and labor racketeering crimes in the federal courts of the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
Chief Judge Satterfield first served on the Superior Court bench in November 1992, as an appointee of President Bush. He originally served in the court's Criminal, Civil, Family, and Domestic Violence divisions, and went on to serve as one of the court's original Drug Court judges. During this time, Judge Satterfield was also a member of several national and regional advocacy organizations, such as the National Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence, the District of Columbia Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Committee and the Citywide Truancy Task Force. In this capacity, Judge Satterfield authored unprecedented regulations for domestic violence court operations and piloted a Middle School Truancy Court Diversion Program in District of Columbia Public Schools.
In September 2008, Judge Satterfield was inaugurated as Chief Judge of the Superior Court. As Chief Judge, Judge Satterfield oversaw 112 Superior Court judges and launched several effective initiatives. He started programs that ensured the accurate prosecution of self-
represented parties, allowed tenants to easily report their landlords for violations, and authorized an increased technological presence in the courtroom. He also streamlined and prioritized the Superior Court's jury selection process, directed a $63 million renovation of the courthouse, and founded a specialized behavioral court that afforded juveniles a chance to reduce or eliminate charges against them if they complied with treatment. Chief Judge Satterfield also, notably, oversaw the implementation of new marriage equality laws in the District and expanded the community court initiative, which resulted in significantly lower recidivism among those who committed misdemeanors.
Among all of his other commitments, for over 20 years, Judge Satterfield was an adjunct professor at the Catholic University Columbus School of Law, where he taught Criminal Trial Practice and Advanced Criminal Procedure. He was also a professional lecturer in the L.L.M. litigation program at George Washington University National Law School for four years.
Chief Judge Satterfield has shown unusual resilience through medical crises later in his life, including a heart transplant and a stroke he endured in 2011. He has consistently been a source of inspiration to his colleagues and the D.C. community.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield for his service to the country, to the District of Columbia and our courts, and to wish him the best for the remainder of his time on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and for his retirement in February 2017.
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