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  H.R. No. 808
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
 
         WHEREAS, March 18, 2013, marks the 50th anniversary of the
  landmark Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright, which found
  that under the United States Constitution, state courts must
  provide attorneys to indigent defendants in all felony cases; and
         WHEREAS, In Gideon v. Wainwright, the United States Supreme
  Court recognized that our adversarial system of criminal justice
  depends upon a fair contest between the prosecution and the
  defense, and that this system is an effective means of arriving at
  just results only when both the prosecution and the defense are
  adequately prepared and equipped to present their case effectively
  under the law; and
         WHEREAS, Justice Hugo Black, who wrote the unanimous
  decision, noted: "From the very beginning, our state and national
  constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and
  substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before
  impartial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before
  the law. This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged
  with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him";
  and
         WHEREAS, Because the assistance of counsel is essential to
  effectuate a meaningful defense when faced with prosecution by the
  state, Texas passed the Fair Defense Act of 2001 to better ensure
  that the constitutional rights of all Texans would be more reliably
  safeguarded; implementation of the Act has enabled many more people
  to receive public defense services and earlier access to counsel,
  and it has improved the quality of legal assistance provided; and
         WHEREAS, The Fair Defense Act created the Task Force on
  Indigent Defense, now known as the Texas Indigent Defense
  Commission, to provide technical support to counties to develop and
  maintain quality, cost-effective public defense systems, as well as
  to offer financial assistance to meet the new requirements and to
  foster innovation in the way public defense services are provided;
  new state grant funds administered by the commission have led to the
  creation of 13 public defender offices and 3 managed assigned
  counsel programs to provide public defense services in more than
  180 counties; and
         WHEREAS, Affirming essential principles of fairness and
  justice, Gideon v. Wainwright marked a turning point in American
  jurisprudence, and it is indeed fitting to recognize the vital role
  this decision has played over the past half-century in guaranteeing
  access to counsel for all; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
  Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Supreme
  Court's decision in Gideon v. Wainwright.
 
  Herrero
 
 
Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira
 
Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr
 
Alonzo Gooden Otto
 
Alvarado Guerra Paddie
 
Anchia Guillen Parker
 
Anderson Gutierrez Patrick
 
Ashby Harless Perez
 
Aycock Harper-Brown Perry
 
Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips
 
Bohac Herrero Pickett
 
Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts
 
Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price
 
Branch Huberty Raney
 
Burkett Hughes Ratliff
 
Burnam Hunter Raymond
 
Button Isaac Reynolds
 
Callegari Johnson Riddle
 
Canales Kacal Ritter
 
Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar
 
Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis
 
Clardy King of Parker Rose
 
Coleman King of Taylor Sanford
 
Collier King of Zavala Schaefer
 
Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets
 
Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell
 
Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell
 
Creighton Krause Simmons
 
Crownover Kuempel Simpson
 
Dale Larson Smith
 
Darby Laubenberg Smithee
 
Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer
 
J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson
 
S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland
 
Deshotel Longoria Strama
 
Dukes Lozano Taylor
 
Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria
 
Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris
 
Elkins Martinez Toth
 
Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin
 
Farias McClendon Turner of Harris
 
Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant
 
Farrar Miles Villalba
 
Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal
 
Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo
 
Frank Moody Walle
 
Frullo Morrison White
 
Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman
 
Giddings Murphy Wu
 
Goldman Naishtat Zedler
 
Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas
 
  ______________________________
  Speaker of the House     
 
         I certify that H.R. No. 808 was adopted by the House on March
  18, 2013, by a non-record vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House