By Hinojosa                                           H.R. No. 1023
         77R12812 MMS-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Over the course of a long and distinguished career,
 1-2     the Honorable Fidencio M. Guerra, Sr., of McAllen has rendered
 1-3     inestimable service to his state and to his country; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, Born August 6, 1909, on a small ranch in Jim Hogg
 1-5     County, Judge Guerra attended The University of Texas at Austin and
 1-6     was admitted to the Texas bar in 1940; during World War II he
 1-7     served with the United States State Department in Bogota and in
 1-8     Madrid, assisting the Colombian government in disposing of German,
 1-9     Italian, and Japanese assets, and the Spanish government in
1-10     processing the cases of German and Italian nationals; and
1-11           WHEREAS, After the war Judge Guerra returned to his home in
1-12     McAllen, where he resumed his law practice and stepped back into
1-13     public service; a McAllen city commissioner from 1936 to 1942, he
1-14     held office as a justice of the peace for Hidalgo County from 1946
1-15     to 1949; and
1-16           WHEREAS, During the early years of the Tidelands controversy,
1-17     from 1949 to 1952, Judge Guerra worked as an assistant attorney
1-18     general for the state and was instrumental in preparing the case
1-19     that Texas presented to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1951, defending
1-20     its sovereignty over the disputed offshore territory; and
1-21           WHEREAS, In 1954, Judge Guerra  received appointment as
1-22     presiding judge of the newly created 139th District Court of the
1-23     State of Texas in Edinburg; he retained this post in the 1956
1-24     election and then held it without opposition until his retirement
 2-1     in 1980; even after stepping down as presiding judge, he continued
 2-2     to hear cases as a senior visiting judge by assignment until the
 2-3     early 1990s, when he fully retired; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, In addition to his duties with the 139th District
 2-5     Court, Judge Guerra served as presiding judge of the Fifth
 2-6     Administrative Judicial District, covering South Texas, from 1961
 2-7     to 1972, and from 1967 to 1968 held a seat on the state's Criminal
 2-8     Justice Council, which evaluated the Texas Penal Code and courts
 2-9     system; and
2-10           WHEREAS, Notwithstanding the significant demands of his work,
2-11     this notable Texan has given generously of his time and energies to
2-12     numerous community organizations, among them Our Lady of Sorrows
2-13     Catholic Church, the Order of the Alhambra, the McAllen Serra Club,
2-14     and the McAllen Rotary Club; and
2-15           WHEREAS, Throughout a life rich in accomplishments, family,
2-16     and friendships, Judge Guerra has exhibited wisdom, integrity, and
2-17     dedication that have won him the affection and esteem of all who
2-18     have been privileged to know him, and it is indeed a pleasure to
2-19     recognize him at this time; now, therefore, be it
2-20           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-21     Legislature hereby commend the Honorable Fidencio M. Guerra, Sr.,
2-22     for his exceptional public service; and, be it further
2-23           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-24     prepared for Judge Guerra as a token of high esteem by the Texas
2-25     House of Representatives.