H.R. No. 1244
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Honorable Mario E. Ramirez, Jr., of McAllen is
being presented with the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award by the
Hidalgo County Bar Association on May 7, 2009; and
WHEREAS, Judge Ramirez has presided over the 332nd District
Court since the creation of that court in 1983; he earlier served as
judge of the 93rd District Court, as judge of Hidalgo County Court
at Law No. 2, and as an assistant municipal court judge in McAllen;
earlier in his career, he worked as an attorney for the Texas
Department of Public Welfare before establishing a solo practice in
McAllen, where he also served as an attorney for the Pharr-San
Juan-Alamo Independent School District; and
WHEREAS, A former director and president of the Hidalgo
County Bar Association, Judge Ramirez has also taken a leading role
in the State Bar of Texas, serving on the board of directors, on a
committee to ensure the representation of the poor in civil
matters, and on a task force to ensure the continuation of court
operations throughout the state in the event of an emergency; in
addition, he has served on a committee charged by the Fifth
Administrative Judicial Region of Texas with setting the
qualifications for appointment as counsel in death penalty cases
and with evaluating the eligibility of attorneys for such an
appointment; and
WHEREAS, Deeply committed to public service, Judge Ramirez
has helped guide the Mental Health Association in Texas as a member
of its board, and he has held membership in the Texas Council on
Offenders with Mental Impairments; in addition, since 1982 he has
served as the overseer of the Hidalgo County Juvenile Probation
Department; in recognition of his longtime efforts to address
issues related to juvenile offenders, a newly constructed
preadjudication facility in Edinburg was dedicated as the Judge
Mario E. Ramirez, Jr., Juvenile Justice Center in March 2008; and
WHEREAS, Born in Roma, Judge Ramirez is a 1968 graduate of Rio
Grande City High School; he received his bachelor's degree from the
University of Notre Dame in 1972 and his law degree from St. Mary's
University in 1974; and
WHEREAS, For more than three decades, this distinguished
jurist has embodied the highest standards of his profession and
rendered immeasurable service to his community; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the Honorable Mario E. Ramirez,
Jr., on his receipt of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Hidalgo County Bar Association and extend to him sincere
appreciation for his significant contributions to the Lone Star
State; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Judge Ramirez as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Gonzales
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1244 was adopted by the House on April
23, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House