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NOMINATIONS OF ANNA BLACKBURNERIGSBY, THOMAS MOTLEY, AND JOHN MOTT

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2000

U.S. SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,

Washington, DC.

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:56 a.m., in room SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. George V. Voinovich presiding.

Present: Senator Voinovich.

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR VOINOVICH

Senator VOINOVICH. Good morning. The hearing will come to order.

I would like to welcome everyone, especially our nominees: Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Thomas Motley, and John Mott. And we are very happy to have Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton with us this morning.

All of the individuals have been nominated to serve as Associate Judges for the District of Columbia Superior Court, and let me state for the record that all of our nominees have been subjected to a very thorough screening process. They were all recommended by the District's Judicial Nomination Committee, subjected to FBI background investigations, and subsequently nominated by the President of the United States. So they have gone through a lot more than some other judges go through in order to get to this table.

Since the nominations were received, the Committee staff has also conducted separate background checks and interviews with each of the nominees. I understand that Delegate Norton is here to introduce one of the nominees, and Senator Schumer should be here in just a while. But I know, Delegate Norton, you are a busy person, and so I will ask you if you will introduce Mr. Mott.

TESTIMONY OF HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, A DELEGATE IN CONGRESS FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Ms. NORTON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my great pleasure to introduce two of these nominees.

First, John Mott, who has been an acting chief and is now deputy chief of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. Mr. Mott has had an unusually distinguished career. For the last 2 years, he has garnered four of the Department's top awards. He continued his career there after a career of excellence at the Public Defender's Service, considered the best Public

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Defender's Service in the country, where he received extensive experience with criminal defendants and juveniles. He is a member of the Hispanic Bar Association and has been especially active in committees of the D.C. Bar Association.

Mr. Mott distinguished himself in college and law school, at Northeastern Law School, where he was a teaching assistant, and at Dartmouth College, where he was a member of a senior honor society.

Mr. Mott is especially well prepared to become an associate judge of the Superior Court, and it is a very special pleasure for me to recommend him to you.

It is, indeed, a pleasure as well to recommend Thomas Motley to be an associate judge of the Superior Court. Mr. Motley, like me, is a native Washingtonian. Mr. Motley is in the tradition of African Americans, who have lived in this city since its founding and have always put a premium on education, pursued it extensively, rising to the top of the opportunities available to them.

Mr. Motley went on from Coolidge High School to Columbia College, where he won several prizes and was the class marshal, and then to Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of one of the law reviews. He went on to clerk for a Federal district court judge, and was recruited to a distinguished downtown law firm, Steptoe and Johnson.

Mr. Motley has spent most of his career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, rising to the very top of the U.S. Attorney's Office, second only to the U.S. Attorney, herself, as Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney in the office, which is the largest and most important U.S. Attorney's Office in the country.

Mr. Motley's work there predicts that he will distinguish himself on the Superior Court. He has prosecuted 500 felony cases, including 50 jury trials in the District. We appreciate, especially, his civic service particularly to children, including his service in Big Brothers and Big Sisters as an officer and with the Catholic Youth Organization. I am especially pleased to recommend Thomas Motley to the Committee.

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you very much. We appreciate your being here with us this morning.

Ms. Rigsby, when Senator Schumer gets here- he will be here in about 10 or 15 minutes-so when he comes, we will give you an introduction. By that time, it may be over. [Laughter.]

But I can assure everyone that we have reviewed your resume and background, and you are very qualified.

As part of the Committee's practice, I would like the three of you to stand and raise your right hand and take the oath of office. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give to the Committee today will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God?

Ms. BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. I do.

Mr. MOTLEY. I do.

Mr. MOTT. I do.

Senator VOINOVICH. Let the record show that the three nominees answered in the affirmative. Thank you.

I would now like to welcome Ms. Blackburne-Rigsby. We are pleased to have you here today. Are you accompanied by any of your family members that you would like to introduce?

TESTIMONY OF ANNA BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY,1 TO BE ASSOCIATE JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Ms. BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Yes, Senator, thank you. I am accompanied today by my husband, Robert Rigsby, who is seated behind me-he is a Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia-and my mother and father. My mother, Laura Blackburne, is on the bench in New York State, the Supreme Court there, and my father, Elmer Blackburne, is a District Leader in Queens, N.Y. I am also accompanied by my sisters: Dr. Rose Blackburne, and Faith Blackburne, who serves on the House staff. My son Julian, who is two and a half, couldn't join us today.

I am also pleased to have a number of colleagues from the Federal District Court and D.C. Superior Court. Judge Ricky Roberts, from the Federal District Court, is here today, and colleagues from Superior Court, Chief Judge Eugene Hamilton, Judge Lee Satterfield, Judge Cheryl Long, and Judge Mary Terrell. My secretary, Laverne Boone, and Courtenay Nelson are also joining me from the office. Thank you.

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you. I know that your family and husband are very proud of you today, and especially following in a family tradition.

Ms. BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Thank you.

Senator VOINOVICH. It is wonderful.

Would you like to make an opening statement of any sort?

Ms. BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Just briefly. I would first like to thank you, Senator, and the other Senators on the Committee and your Committee staff, who have done an excellent job in assisting us through this process. I am very excited and take very seriously the responsibilities that we are about to undertake if confirmed by the Senate. And if confirmed, I intend to serve the citizens of the District of Columbia with dedication and enthusiasm, and I thank you for this opportunity to be here today.

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you.

I would like to welcome you, Mr. Motley. We are pleased to have you here today, and would you like to introduce any of your friends or family?

TESTIMONY OF THOMAS MOTLEY,2 TO BE ASSOCIATE JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Mr. MOTLEY. Yes, I would. I would like to begin with my brother, Leutrell Michael Carlton Osborne. He is my oldest brother who ĺ have lived with for most of my-some of my youth.

I also would like to introduce my sister, Victoria Motley Washington, who is from Durham, North Carolina, and my sister,

1 The biographical and professional information of Ms. Blackburne-Rigsby appears in the Appendix on page 9.

2 The biographical and professional information of Mr. Motley appears in the Appendix on page 36.

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