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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING JUDGE OLA M. LEWIS
______
HON. DAVID ROUZER
of north carolina
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the memory and life of a
trailblazing judge from Brunswick County, North Carolina, who was
passionate and fearless in her commitment to justice and the law while
also showing great compassion for those who needed help to get their
lives back on track. Sadly, Judge Ola M. Lewis passed away late last
year. This past Saturday, July 11th, would have been her 55th birthday.
The daughter of a paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division and two
public school principals, Judge Lewis learned early in life the value
of education, hard work, and service to one's community. She grew up in
Spring Lake, North Carolina, and soon moved with her family to
Brunswick County. Like her father, she graduated from Fayetteville
State University and then in 1990 earned a law degree from North
Carolina Central Law School. After a stint in private practice she
returned home to Brunswick County to serve in the District Attorney's
Office.
Just two years later, in 1993, Judge Lewis was appointed district
court judge becoming the youngest serving district court judge in North
Carolina. She spent seven years as a district court judge before being
appointed to serve as a ``special Superior Court judge'', traveling
around 21 North Carolina counties. Her motto: ``have gavel, will
travel''.
She made history as both the first woman and the first African-
American judge in North Carolina's Fourteenth Judicial District. She is
the longest serving female judge in the history of North Carolina.
Judge Lewis has left a real impact in our community that will
continue to be felt. She fostered the creation of specialized drug
treatment and mental health courts, which have helped countless those
that need it the help necessary to put themselves back on the right
track. Her drug court program became a national template that has been
replicated to help others struggling with addiction and mental health
challenges nationwide.
She was one of the first to see and respond to the scourge of the
opioid addiction that has ravaged the nation, co-founding in 2017 the
Brunswick County Opioid Addiction Task Force. She encouraged Governor
Roy Cooper to declare the growing opioid addiction crisis a statewide
public health emergency.
In recognition of her contributions and dedication to our local
communities and to our state, she was awarded the Order of the Long
Leaf Pine by Governor Cooper, the Old North State Award by Governor
Beverly Purdue, and the Dogwood Award by Attorney General Josh Stein.
Madam Speaker, Judge Ola Lewis leaves a legacy for which her
wonderful family, colleagues and friends can be proud. Hers was a great
life of service to the benefit of every citizen, our communities, and
our state.
____________________