Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of plaque honoring Judge Ola Lewis
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Board of Commissioners are not letting the Ola Lewis legacy die.
The board voted 5-0 Monday to dedicate a part of the courthouse lobby to the late judge.
The board discussed the wording on the dedication plaque early Monday afternoon. Lewis was the longest serving female judge in the history of North Carolina.
The plaque details her life story as a North Carolina native, the daughter of an 82nd airborne paratrooper and two public school principals, and describing her as a judge that brought ‘transformative vision for her courtroom.’
Below are some excerpts of the most recent plaque draft:
“…Judge Ola learned early in life the value of hard work, education and public service. These values fueled a trailblazing journey, a journey that not only enabled her to use her court to bring justice to those deserving of such, but healing to many who needed recovery rather than incarceration.”
“In 1993… Judge Ola was appointed district judge, She would be the youngest judge serving at that time in North Carolina. She would serve in this role for seven years before being appointed by former Governor Jim Hunt in 2000 to serve as a ‘special superior court judge.'”
“In 2017, The Honorable Josh Stein, Attorney General for the State of North Carolina presented Judge Ola the ‘Dogwood Award’ for her ‘dedication to keeping people safe, healthy and happy in their communities.'”
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