By Patterson                                           H.R. No. 487
       74R8561 PFG-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, In 1993, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals assumed
    1-2  the responsibility for overseeing the continuing legal education of
    1-3  all the trial and appellate court judges and officers of the court
    1-4  in Texas, and its exemplary efforts in this regard have greatly
    1-5  enhanced the stature of judicial education in Texas today; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, Since taking on its new role, the Court of Criminal
    1-7  Appeals has earned favorable attention for its wise and efficient
    1-8  administration of this program and for its responsiveness to the
    1-9  needs of these courts, which carry a prodigious criminal caseload
   1-10  that affects the welfare and safety of all Texans; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, Included among those courts that benefit from the
   1-12  state's continuing legal education program are justice of the peace
   1-13  courts, which are highly accessible to most Texans because of their
   1-14  broad civil and criminal jurisdiction and their procedural
   1-15  informality; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, In accordance with rules promulgated by the Court of
   1-17  Criminal Appeals, Texas' justices of the peace and constables are
   1-18  required to fulfill 20 hours of continuing legal education each
   1-19  year, and in pursuit of these criteria, the more than 1,600 members
   1-20  of the Justices of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas,
   1-21  Inc., have found the program to be exceptionally worthwhile in
   1-22  enhancing the wide range of skills and expertise needed to perform
   1-23  the myriad responsibilities of their work; and
   1-24        WHEREAS, The membership of this respected organization has
    2-1  expressed its firm support of the Court of Criminal Appeals'
    2-2  continued administration of the legal education program in
    2-3  recognition of the program's excellence and its significant
    2-4  contributions to the quality of justice in our state, and it gives
    2-5  the members of this chamber great pleasure to join them in
    2-6  recognizing the Court of Criminal Appeals at this time; now,
    2-7  therefore, be it
    2-8        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
    2-9  Legislature hereby commend the Court of Criminal Appeals for its
   2-10  outstanding administration of the continuing legal education
   2-11  program for trial and appellate judges and officers of the court in
   2-12  Texas and congratulate its staff on a job well done; and, be it
   2-13  further
   2-14        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-15  prepared for the Court of Criminal Appeals as a token of high
   2-16  esteem by the Texas House of Representatives.