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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Honorable Mario E. Ramirez, Jr., of McAllen is |
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being presented with the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award by the |
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Hidalgo County Bar Association on May 7, 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, Judge Ramirez has presided over the 332nd District |
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Court since the creation of that court in 1983; he earlier served as |
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judge of the 93rd District Court, as judge of Hidalgo County Court |
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at Law No. 2, and as an assistant municipal court judge in McAllen; |
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earlier in his career, he worked as an attorney for the Texas |
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Department of Public Welfare before establishing a solo practice in |
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McAllen, where he also served as an attorney for the Pharr-San |
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Juan-Alamo Independent School District; and |
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WHEREAS, A former director and president of the Hidalgo |
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County Bar Association, Judge Ramirez has also taken a leading role |
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in the State Bar of Texas, serving on the board of directors, on a |
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committee to ensure the representation of the poor in civil |
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matters, and on a task force to ensure the continuation of court |
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operations throughout the state in the event of an emergency; in |
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addition, he has served on a committee charged by the Fifth |
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Administrative Judicial Region of Texas with setting the |
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qualifications for appointment as counsel in death penalty cases |
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and with evaluating the eligibility of attorneys for such an |
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appointment; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to public service, Judge Ramirez |
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has helped guide the Mental Health Association in Texas as a member |
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of its board, and he has held membership in the Texas Council on |
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Offenders with Mental Impairments; in addition, since 1982 he has |
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served as the overseer of the Hidalgo County Juvenile Probation |
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Department; in recognition of his longtime efforts to address |
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issues related to juvenile offenders, a newly constructed |
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preadjudication facility in Edinburg was dedicated as the Judge |
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Mario E. Ramirez, Jr., Juvenile Justice Center in March 2008; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Roma, Judge Ramirez is a 1968 graduate of Rio |
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Grande City High School; he received his bachelor's degree from the |
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University of Notre Dame in 1972 and his law degree from St. Mary's |
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University in 1974; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than three decades, this distinguished |
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jurist has embodied the highest standards of his profession and |
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rendered immeasurable service to his community; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Mario E. Ramirez, |
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Jr., on his receipt of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the |
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Hidalgo County Bar Association and extend to him sincere |
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appreciation for his significant contributions to the Lone Star |
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State; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Judge Ramirez as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |