093_HR0197

                                     LRB093 11433 KEF 14220 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS,  The  members   of   the   Illinois   House   of
 3    Representatives   congratulate   Rita   Aliese   Fry  on  her
 4    retirement as Chief  Executive  of  the  Cook  County  Public
 5    Defender's Office; and

 6        WHEREAS,  Ms.  Fry  was  reappointed to a second six-year
 7    term  as  Public  Defender  in  June  of  1998,  having  been
 8    previously appointed and confirmed by the Cook  County  Board
 9    of   Commissioners   in   March   of  1992;  her  duties  and
10    responsibilities included designating liaisons to all  county
11    and court agencies involved in the administration and funding
12    of  the  Office;  ex-officio member of all Office committees;
13    director of all internal Office  operations;  and  monitoring
14    all  activities  of  the  Office  through the First Assistant
15    Public  Defender  and  Operations  Directors,  including  all
16    requests  for  expenditures,  budgets,  and   allocation   of
17    resources; and

18        WHEREAS,  In  1968, Ms. Fry received an Associate of Arts
19    degree from Prairie State College; in  1973  she  received  a
20    Bachelor  of  Arts degree from Loyola University, and in 1979
21    she received  a  J.D.  degree  from  Northwestern  University
22    College of Law; and

23        WHEREAS,  From  1980  through  1986,  she  served  as  an
24    Assistant  Public  Defender  assigned  to  the  Felony  Trial
25    Division  and Homicide Task Force, where she litigated bench,
26    jury and capital cases, and was a misdemeanor trial  attorney
27    in the First Municipal Division; and

28        WHEREAS,  From  1986  to  1988, she was a Senior Attorney
29    Supervisor of the Municipal Prosecutions  Divisions  for  the
30    City   of   Chicago   Law  Department,  responsible  for  the
31    supervision of 15 lawyers assigned  to  prosecute  civil  and
32    criminal  matters in the Circuit Court of Cook County and she
 
                            -2-      LRB093 11433 KEF 14220 r
 1    provided legal counsel to various city  departments  such  as
 2    police,  health,  consumer services, zoning, liquor licensing
 3    commission, and city council committees; and

 4        WHEREAS, Ms. Fry was  appointed  First  Assistant  Public
 5    Defender  in  August  1988  and  served  until  1992; she was
 6    responsible  for  the  direct   management   and   day-to-day
 7    operations  of the Office of the Cook County Public Defender,
 8    supervision of 508 attorneys and 248 support staff,  and  the
 9    management of the FY 1992 $38 million budget; and

10        WHEREAS,  Ms. Fry has been an instructor, lecturer, guest
11    speaker, and panelist for  many  organizations  and  at  many
12    institutions of higher education; and

13        WHEREAS,  Ms. Fry is the author of a chapter appearing in
14    the book,  "Ethical  Problems  Facing  the  Criminal  Defense
15    Lawyer"  entitled  "Calling  Defense Witnesses: Whose Case Is
16    This Anyway?"; and

17        WHEREAS,  Her  memberships  include  the   National   Bar
18    Association,  Cook County Bar Association, the National Legal
19    Aid  and  Defenders  Association,  the  Illinois  State   Bar
20    Association,  the  American  Bar  Association,  the  American
21    Management  Association, Black Women Lawyers Association, the
22    National Lawyers  Guild,  Chicago  Council  of  Lawyers,  the
23    Chicago  Conference of Black Lawyers, Inns of Court, National
24    Association for Criminal  Defense  Lawyers,  Fellows  of  the
25    American Bar Foundations, and many others; and

26        WHEREAS,  In  June  1994,  Ms.  Fry  was  selected by the
27    President of the Supreme  Court  of  Ethiopia  to  assist  in
28    establishing   a   long-term   administrative  structure  for
29    Ethiopia's first public defender system; and

30        WHEREAS, Ms. Fry  is  the  1995  recipient  of  the  Anne
31    O'Brien Stevens Award and the 1992 recipient of the IDA Platt
 
                            -3-      LRB093 11433 KEF 14220 r
 1    Award,  the  Kizzy  Award,  and  the  Sixth  Amendment Award;
 2    therefore, be it

 3        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
 4    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
 5    we congratulate Rita Aliese Fry on her  retirement  as  Chief
 6    Executive  of  the  Cook  County Public Defender's Office and
 7    wish her good health and  happiness  in  all  of  her  future
 8    endeavors; and be it further

 9        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
10    presented to Rita Aliese Fry with our respect and esteem.