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2016 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 444
Commending the Honorable Esther L. Wiggins.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 8, 2016
Agreed to by the Senate, March 10, 2016

 

WHEREAS, the Honorable Esther L. Wiggins retires as a judge of the Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in 2016 after decades of service to the residents of Arlington and the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from Old Dominion University and Howard University School of Law, Esther Wiggins began her legal career in 1986 with the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney, becoming the first African American to serve as an assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney; and

WHEREAS, Esther Wiggins was later appointed a judge of the Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of the 17th Judicial District of Virginia, where she presided with great fairness and wisdom for 18 years; and

WHEREAS, as a judge, Esther Wiggins established a committee of court staff, social services workers, and community members to develop the GirlTalk and RealTalk seminars, which address important issues facing young women and men; and

WHEREAS, an active member of the Arlington County Bar Association, Esther Wiggins served as secretary, treasurer, and a member of several committees; and

WHEREAS, Esther Wiggins has worked to enhance the community through multiple other civic and service organizations, and she received the 1997 Person of Vision Award from the Arlington County Commission on the Status of Women; and

WHEREAS, Esther Wiggins lives her faith through her actions and enjoys fellowship and worship with the community as a member of Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, where she has held numerous leadership positions, taught Sunday school, and served as a mentor to girls and young women in the congregation; and

WHEREAS, a woman of great integrity, Esther Wiggins served Arlington and the Commonwealth with the utmost professionalism and dedication; after her well-earned retirement, she plans to seek new opportunities to serve the community, travel, and spend more time with her beloved family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Honorable Esther L. Wiggins on the occasion of her retirement as a judge of the 17th Judicial District of Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Esther L. Wiggins as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for her dedicated service to the Commonwealth.