R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The death of the Honorable Lucius D. Bunton III on
1-2 January 17, 2001, at the age of 76 brought a great loss to his
1-3 family and friends and to all the people of Texas, but his notable
1-4 legacy of far-reaching judicial decisions will continue to
1-5 contribute to the well-being of this state for years to come; and
1-6 WHEREAS, Born in Del Rio on December 1, 1924, Judge Bunton
1-7 grew up on a ranch in Marfa and received bachelor's and law degrees
1-8 from The University of Texas at Austin; he also served with
1-9 distinction as a private in the U.S. Army during World War II; and
1-10 WHEREAS, Bringing a boyhood dream to fruition, Judge Bunton
1-11 embarked on a law career and spent six years as district attorney
1-12 in Marfa before entering into private practice as a civil litigator
1-13 for 20 years; and
1-14 WHEREAS, Appointed to the federal bench by President Jimmy
1-15 Carter in 1979, he served as chief judge for the Western District
1-16 of Texas, the largest judicial district in the nation by area, from
1-17 1987 to 1992; Judge Bunton continued working as a senior judge
1-18 until retiring to the Austin area in May of 2000; and
1-19 WHEREAS, Operating with such textbook efficiency that his
1-20 courtrooms became the home of the "rocket docket," he presided over
1-21 many important cases, including the landmark Edwards Aquifer
1-22 decisions, which helped bring about significant change to the
1-23 state's water laws; in addition, Judge Bunton's 1995 ruling that
1-24 the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was unconstitutional was
2-1 eventually upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court; and
2-2 WHEREAS, The great-great nephew of a signer of the Texas
2-3 Declaration of Independence from Mexico and a distant cousin of
2-4 former United States President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Judge Bunton
2-5 was widely respected and admired for his courage and conviction,
2-6 and his homespun sense of humor and commitment to serving the West
2-7 Texas citizenry earned him a special place in the hearts of
2-8 countless people; and
2-9 WHEREAS, Although Lucius D. Bunton III will be deeply missed,
2-10 his bright spirit, sense of humor, and deep commitment to fairness
2-11 and justice will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of all
2-12 those whose lives he touched; now, therefore, be it
2-13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-14 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Lucius
2-15 D. Bunton III and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his
2-16 family: to his wife, Mary Jane Bunton; to his daughter, Catheryne
2-17 Warner; to his son, Lucius Bunton IV; to his four beloved
2-18 grandchildren; and to his numerous other relatives and friends;
2-19 and, be it further
2-20 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-21 prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas
2-22 House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in the memory
2-23 of Judge Lucius Bunton.
West
Junell
Turner of Coleman
Gallego
Walker
Laney Goodman Merritt
Alexander Goolsby Miller
Allen Gray Moreno of Harris
Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso
Bailey Grusendorf Morrison
Berman Gutierrez Mowery
Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat
Bosse Hamric Najera
Brimer Hardcastle Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira
Burnam Heflin Olivo
Callegari Hilbert Pickett
Capelo Hilderbran Pitts
Carter Hill Puente
Chavez Hinojosa Ramsay
Chisum Hochberg Rangel
Christian Hodge Raymond
Clark Homer Reyna of Bexar
Coleman Hope Reyna of Dallas
Cook Hopson Ritter
Corte Howard Sadler
Counts Hunter Salinas
Crabb Hupp Seaman
Craddick Isett Shields
Crownover Janek Smith
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Davis of Harris Jones of Bexar Solis
Davis of Dallas Jones of Dallas Solomons
Delisi Junell Swinford
Denny Keel Talton
Deshotel Keffer Telford
Driver King of Parker Thompson
Dukes King of Uvalde Tillery
Dunnam Kitchen Truitt
Dutton Kolkhorst Turner of Coleman
Edwards Krusee Turner of Harris
Ehrhardt Kuempel Uher
Eiland Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Elkins Lewis of Orange Villarreal
Ellis Longoria Walker
Farabee Luna West
Farrar McCall Williams
Flores McClendon Wilson
Gallego McReynolds Wise
Garcia Madden Wohlgemuth
George Marchant Wolens
Geren Martinez Fischer Woolley
Giddings Maxey Yarbrough
Glaze Menendez Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 105 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on February 26, 2001.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House