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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The strength of our communities depends on the |
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dedicated efforts of public officials, and over the years, Rod |
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Ponton of Presidio has served the citizens of West Texas in a number |
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of important roles; and |
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WHEREAS, A prominent lawyer with four decades of experience, |
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Mr. Ponton has served as Presidio County attorney since 2017, and |
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he is city attorney for the Cities of Alpine and Balmorhea; |
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previously, Mr. Ponton was the 83rd District attorney, serving |
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Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos, and Presidio Counties; he was also |
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employed as city attorney for the Cities of Pecos and Presidio, and |
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he served as chair of the West Pecos Management District; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Ponton is the founder of a private civil |
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practice, Big Bend Law; the firm handles a wide range of matters for |
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its clients, including real estate transactions, civil litigation, |
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family law, probate law, and estate planning; and |
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WHEREAS, Early in his career, Mr. Ponton worked in criminal |
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defense law in El Paso; he successfully represented Henry Lee Lucas |
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in one of the state's most high-profile capital murder cases, and in |
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1987, he was named the Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year by the |
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State Bar of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Ponton grew up in Alpine; after receiving his |
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bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 1973, he |
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went on to graduate from the Texas Tech University School of Law in |
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1982; and |
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WHEREAS, Now forever renowned as "the Cat Lawyer," Mr. Ponton |
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appeared in a Zoom call video that went viral in February 2021, when |
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he proclaimed for what would become a global audience, "I'm here |
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live, I'm not a cat," as a wayward filter imposed the image of a |
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kitten over his face; this led to an interview on television's TODAY |
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show and other major media coverage; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, Rod Ponton has demonstrated a |
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deep commitment to the legal profession and to public service, and |
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his accomplishments have earned the admiration and appreciation of |
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his fellow West Texas residents; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby honor Rod Ponton for his contributions to West Texas and |
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extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Ponton as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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Senate. |