By Homer                                             H.C.R. No. 276
         77R14138 MMS-D                           
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, The late Thomas D. "Tom" Wells of Paris rendered
 1-2     exceptional public service as county and district attorney of Lamar
 1-3     County and as a special prosecutor during his lifetime; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, A native of Norfolk, Virginia, where he was born in
 1-5     1944, Mr. Wells was reared in Paris and graduated from Baylor
 1-6     University in 1967; he and his wife, Rusty, married the following
 1-7     year, and the couple's family grew to include two sons, Todd and
 1-8     Damon; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, After earning a law degree from St. Mary's
1-10     University in 1972, Mr. Wells returned to Paris to practice law
1-11     with his father; swiftly gaining the respect of his colleagues and
1-12     fellow citizens, he won election as county and district attorney of
1-13     Lamar County in 1976 and held that  office without interruption
1-14     until his retirement on December 31, 1996; and
1-15           WHEREAS, Noted for his thorough preparation, Mr. Wells worked
1-16     assiduously to stay abreast of developments in his field; after
1-17     reading about a new method for the analysis of DNA evidence, he
1-18     became the first prosecutor in Texas to use this approach in a
1-19     capital murder case, successfully employing the PCR method when he
1-20     lacked sufficient DNA evidence for the mode of testing
1-21     conventionally used; and
1-22           WHEREAS, Throughout his career, this distinguished Texan
1-23     devoted substantial time and energy to prosecutors' concerns at the
1-24     state and national levels; active in the Texas District and County
 2-1     Attorneys Association from his first day on the job, he joined the
 2-2     association's board of directors in 1980 and three years later
 2-3     became president of the organization; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, Mr. Wells chaired the Texas Prosecutor Standards and
 2-5     Guidelines Advisory Committee for three years, during which time he
 2-6     oversaw the preparation and adoption of a comprehensive set of
 2-7     ethical guidelines; he also served as a board member and as vice
 2-8     president with the National District Attorneys Association; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, After leaving public office, Mr. Wells continued to
2-10     work for Texans in the courtroom, accepting appointment as special
2-11     prosecutor in a variety of cases around the state; and
2-12           WHEREAS, Mr. Wells was renowned in the legal community for
2-13     his consummate expertise and for his legendary ability to capture
2-14     the attention of a jury; a conscientious mentor to younger
2-15     prosecutors, he remained passionate about his work and engendered a
2-16     fierce loyalty among his staff, local law enforcement officers, and
2-17     the citizens of Lamar County, and it is indeed fitting that he be
2-18     remembered for his eminent contributions to the cause of justice
2-19     and to the welfare of society; now, therefore, be it
2-20           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-21     hereby pay tribute to the life of Thomas D. "Tom" Wells and express
2-22     deep appreciation for his lifetime of outstanding service in behalf
2-23     of the people of Texas.