79R2321 MMS-D

By:  Ritter                                                       H.R. No. 45 



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost an exceptional jurist and 
civic leader with the passing of the Honorable James M. Farris of 
Beaumont on November 5, 2004, at the age of 72; and
	WHEREAS, This native Texan was born and raised in 
Hull-Daisetta, in Liberty County, and attended Baylor University, 
where he earned both a bachelor's degree and a law degree; after 
graduating from college and before entering Baylor Law School, he 
served in the U.S. Army and spent 17 months in Korea; and
	WHEREAS, Judge Farris began his career in the office of the 
state attorney general in Austin and then joined the staff of the 
Jefferson County district attorney's office; in 1969 he received 
appointment to the bench of County Court at Law No. 2, and in 1977 
Governor Dolph Briscoe appointed him judge of the 317th District 
Court, with jurisdiction over juvenile and family law cases; before 
retiring in 1996, Judge Farris won reelection to that post seven 
times, never once facing an opponent; and
	WHEREAS, Deeply affected by the plight of many children who 
came through his court, Judge Farris became a nationally renowned 
children's advocate; he played an instrumental role in establishing 
the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Southeast Texas and 
the local Child Advocates, Inc.; an honorary board member of the 
local CASA at the time of his passing, he had also served as a board 
member and president of Texas CASA; and
	WHEREAS, Judge Farris served as an officer and director of 
the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges for a 
number of years and held the post of president in 1993-1994; in 
addition, his intensive work on children's issues led to his 
service on a number of statewide boards and councils; he was 
appointed in 1989 to the Commission on Children, Youth, and Family 
Services by the Texas Health & Human Services Coordinating Board, 
in 1994 to the Children's Justice Task Force by the Texas Department 
of Protective and Regulatory Services, and in 1997 to the "Texans 
Care for Children" Board of Directors; and
	WHEREAS, A gifted storyteller and public speaker, in the last 
decade of his life he traveled to some 45 states to deliver 
presentations on juvenile justice and other concerns; his 
talks--which he painstakingly prepared, peppered generously with 
humor, and invariably delivered in a friendly and down-to-earth 
manner--routinely received standing ovations; and
	WHEREAS, Among the numerous accolades bestowed on Judge 
Farris were a 1991 Commissioner's Award for the Prevention of Child 
Abuse and Neglect, conferred by the U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services; moreover, he was named Judge of the Year by Texas 
CASA in 1992 and Citizen of the Year by the Neches River Festival in 
1995, designated as Baylor Lawyer of the Year in 1997, and elected 
as president of the Baylor Law Alumni Association in 1999; and
	WHEREAS, With his wife, Ellarene, Judge Farris was the proud 
parent of three children, as well as a doting grandparent; and
	WHEREAS, Over the course of a long and distinguished career 
and an active retirement, Judge Farris devoted his considerable 
energy and talents to securing a safe environment for children who 
were at risk of abuse and neglect, and he left a legacy of 
immeasurable value in the institutions he nurtured and the lives he 
touched; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby pay special tribute to the life of Judge James M. 
Farris and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family:  to 
his wife, Ellarene Farris; to his children and grandchildren; and 
to all who mourn the passing of this fine man; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of 
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Judge James 
M. Farris.