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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Justice Sam Griffith is retiring from the 12th Court |
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of Appeals in 2015, drawing to a close a notable tenure on the court |
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that has spanned 14 years; and |
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WHEREAS, Justice Griffith earned his bachelor's and master's |
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degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University, and he received |
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his law degree from St. Mary's School of Law; he began his legal |
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career as a briefing attorney for Justice Paul S. Colley of the 12th |
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Court of Appeals before entering private practice in Tyler; from |
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1997 to 1998, he was a juvenile court judge for County Court at Law |
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No. 3 of Smith County, and from 1999 through 2000, he returned to |
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private practice; he was elected to the 12th Court of Appeals in |
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2000 and began his first term on January 1, 2001, and he was |
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reelected unopposed in 2006 and 2012; and |
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WHEREAS, Board certified in criminal law and criminal |
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appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Justice |
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Griffith is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Smith County |
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Bar Association; he is a member of the Texas Bar Association |
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Judicial and Appellate Sections, and he has served on the Texas Bar |
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Association Committee on Law Focused Education; he has been |
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admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Fifth |
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Circuit, and the U.S. Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Justice Griffith has taught U.S. constitutional law |
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at Yunnan University School of Law in China and at Koya University |
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in Iraq; he has published and delivered articles on a variety of |
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topics, from law to social psychology, and he is a regular speaker |
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at legal seminars on criminal appeals and evidentiary issues; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite his busy professional life, Justice |
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Griffith has also found time to dedicate himself to community |
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service; he has been chair of the board of directors of the local |
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YMCA, secretary of the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Smith |
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County, and a member of the board of the East Texas Farm and Ranch |
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Club; he is active with the East Texas Food Bank food garden, and he |
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has won more than 50 ribbons at the East Texas State Fair for the |
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vegetables he has grown; and |
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WHEREAS, A man of profound religious faith, Justice Griffith |
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is also active in Christian missionary work, leading or |
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participating in mission trips to Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, El |
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Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala; his mission work in Iraq |
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earned him the Global Encourager Award from the Global Evangelistic |
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Relations Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, and in |
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2013, he received the Servant Leadership Award from the Texas |
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TeenPact Leadership Schools; and |
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WHEREAS, Justice Griffith's professionalism, integrity, and |
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dedication to the law have greatly benefited his fellow Texans and |
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earned him the respect and admiration of his peers, and he may |
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indeed reflect with pride on his service to the 12th Court of |
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Appeals as he embarks on the next exciting chapter of his life; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Justice Sam Griffith on his |
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retirement from the 12th Court of Appeals and extend to him sincere |
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best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Justice Griffith as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Hughes |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2813 was adopted by the House on May |
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21, 2015, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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