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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins has |
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been named 2008 Texan of the Year by the Dallas Morning Newsand |
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has been selected as one of Governing Magazine's 2008 Public |
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Officials of the Year; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Dallas, Mr. Watkins graduated from |
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Prairie View A&M University with a bachelor's degree in political |
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science and went on to earn his juris doctorate from Texas Wesleyan |
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University School of Law; he established himself as a defense |
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attorney and businessman, opening a law office and title company |
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with his wife, Tanya, before becoming the first African American to |
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win election as a district attorney in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Watkins has won national attention for the |
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reforms and initiatives undertaken since his inauguration in |
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January 2007; in light of the high number of DNA-based exonerations |
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in Dallas, he partnered with the Innocence Project of Texas to |
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reexamine nearly 40 death penalty cases and review hundreds of |
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felony convictions dating back to 1970; Mr. Watkins created a |
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conviction integrity unit, and the county now leads the nation with |
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19 DNA exonerations to date; placing justice and public safety over |
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high conviction rates, he has also revised procedures for |
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eyewitness identification to reduce the number of false |
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identifications; and |
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WHEREAS, With a philosophy of being "smart on crime," Mr. |
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Watkins has focused on the root causes of criminal activity and such |
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underlying issues as illegal substance abuse and lack of skills and |
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education; he emphasizes rehabilitation to reduce crime and |
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recidivism, promoting efforts to help low-level, nonviolent |
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criminals become productive, law-abiding citizens on their |
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release, rather than more hardened and dangerous repeat offenders; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals named Mr. |
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Watkins to its new Texas Criminal Justice Integrity Unit in June |
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2008; his innovative strategies and dynamic leadership have brought |
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numerous accolades, including the Torch Award from the Dallas Urban |
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League and selection as a member of Ebony magazine's Power 150, a |
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list recognizing the next generation of leaders; this |
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groundbreaking Texan has been featured in such national |
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publications as the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and |
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the New York Times and on television's Good Morning America and 60 |
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Minutes; and |
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WHEREAS, Craig Watkins has brought transformational change |
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to the Dallas County district attorney's office, increasing |
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confidence in the criminal justice system and working to decrease |
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crime through proactive measures as well as convictions; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Dallas County District Attorney |
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Craig Watkins on being named 2008 Texan of the Year by the Dallas |
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Morning News and being selected as one of Governing Magazine's 2008 |
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Public Officials of the Year and extend to him best wishes for |
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continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Watkins as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |