Honoring the life and memory of Judge Lisa Richette.

WHEREAS, Lisa Aversa Richette served the cause of law and justice for over 50 years; and

WHEREAS, Judge Lisa Richette was one of the first women to be an Assistant District Attorney; and

WHEREAS, In 1969, Lisa Aversa Richette published a cutting edge book,

Throwaway Children,

of her insights on the juvenile justice system.

Throwaway Children

is still used in many colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS, In 1971, Judge Richette ascended to the Common Pleases Court bench at a time when female jurists were rare. In her 36 years as judge, she was known for her compassion for those she saw as society's less fortunate, be they neglected children, battered women or men who had suffered a troubled childhood; and

WHEREAS, Judge Richette was the recipient of many awards including the prestigious Gimbel Award and the Philadelphia Bowl, the highest honor given for contributions to the City. She founded organizations to help women and children, including Big Sister, a group home for women and children that was an alternative to jail; and CAPE, a hotline for child abuse victims; and

WHEREAS, Judge Richette devoted much of her life to helping abused and neglected children and the mentally ill. Richette's interest in troubled young people could be traced to her time as a law student at Yale when she served as cottage parent at an institution for emotionally disturbed children.

Therefore, the Council of the City of Philadelphia honors the life and memory of Judge Lisa Aversa Richette.

End