| 1 | 1 | | 86R8781 BPG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Rosenthal H.R. No. 179 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Harris County marked the dawn of a new era on January |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1, 2019, with the swearing-in of a record number of newly elected |
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| 8 | 8 | | African American women as judges; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Although the demographics of Harris County have |
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| 10 | 10 | | shifted dramatically in recent years, the judiciary had remained |
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| 11 | 11 | | dominated by white men; 19 distinguished female, African American |
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| 12 | 12 | | attorneys, including 2 sitting judges, recognized the need to |
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| 13 | 13 | | broaden the diversity of the courts, and in 2018, they joined forces |
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| 14 | 14 | | in a campaign they dubbed "Black Girl Magic," adopting a popular |
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| 15 | 15 | | social media theme that celebrates the accomplishments of African |
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| 16 | 16 | | American women in all arenas; when all 17 new candidates won their |
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| 17 | 17 | | elections, their victory gained national attention; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, The 19 members of the campaign include Judge Maria |
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| 19 | 19 | | T. Jackson, presiding judge of the 339th State District Court, |
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| 20 | 20 | | Judge Ramona Franklin, presiding judge of the 338th Criminal |
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| 21 | 21 | | District Court, and newly elected jurists Judge Sandra Peake, 257th |
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| 22 | 22 | | Judicial District (Family), Judge Michelle Moore, 314th Judicial |
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| 23 | 23 | | District (Juvenile), Judge Germaine Tanner, 311th Judicial |
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| 24 | 24 | | District (Family), Judge Cassandra Y. Holleman, County Criminal |
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| 25 | 25 | | Court-At-Law No. 12, Judge Lucia Bates, Justice of the Peace, |
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| 26 | 26 | | Precinct No. 3, Place 2, Judge Linda Marie Dunson, 309th Judicial |
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| 27 | 27 | | District (Family), Judge Dedra Davis, 270th Judicial District |
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| 28 | 28 | | (Civil), Judge Lori Chambers Gray, 262nd Judicial District |
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| 29 | 29 | | (Criminal), Judge Tonya Jones, County Criminal Court-At-Law |
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| 30 | 30 | | No. 15, Judge Erica Hughes, County Criminal Court-At-Law No. 3, |
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| 31 | 31 | | Judge Sharon M. Burney, Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 7, Place |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2, Judge Ronnisha Bowman, County Criminal Court-At-Law No. 2, Judge |
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| 33 | 33 | | Latosha Lewis Payne, 55th Judicial District (Civil), Judge Shannon |
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| 34 | 34 | | Baldwin, County Criminal Court-At-Law No. 4, Judge Toria J. Finch, |
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| 35 | 35 | | County Criminal Court-At-Law No. 9, Judge LaShawn A. Williams, |
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| 36 | 36 | | County Civil Court-At-Law No. 3, and Judge Angela |
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| 37 | 37 | | Graves-Harrington, 246th Judicial District; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | WHEREAS, One of the most diverse counties in the nation, |
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| 39 | 39 | | Harris County now has a judiciary that better reflects the |
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| 40 | 40 | | population it serves, and this achievement is a source of |
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| 41 | 41 | | tremendous pride to the community; now, therefore, be it |
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| 42 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | Legislature hereby congratulate the 19 African American women |
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| 44 | 44 | | serving as judges in Harris County and extend to them sincere best |
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| 45 | 45 | | wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 46 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 47 | 47 | | prepared for the judges as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 48 | 48 | | House of Representatives. |
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