88R21180 BPG-D
By: Gutierrez, Blanco S.R. No. 626
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The strength of our communities depends on the
dedicated efforts of public officials, and over the years, Rod
Ponton of Presidio has served the citizens of West Texas in a number
of important roles; and
WHEREAS, A prominent lawyer with four decades of experience,
Mr. Ponton has served as Presidio County attorney since 2017, and
he is city attorney for the Cities of Alpine and Balmorhea;
previously, Mr. Ponton was the 83rd District attorney, serving
Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos, and Presidio Counties; he was also
employed as city attorney for the Cities of Pecos and Presidio, and
he served as chair of the West Pecos Management District; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ponton is the founder of a private civil
practice, Big Bend Law; the firm handles a wide range of matters for
its clients, including real estate transactions, civil litigation,
family law, probate law, and estate planning; and
WHEREAS, Early in his career, Mr. Ponton worked in criminal
defense law in El Paso; he successfully represented Henry Lee Lucas
in one of the state's most high-profile capital murder cases, and in
1987, he was named the Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year by the
State Bar of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ponton grew up in Alpine; after receiving his
bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 1973, he
went on to graduate from the Texas Tech University School of Law in
1982; and
WHEREAS, Now forever renowned as "the Cat Lawyer," Mr. Ponton
appeared in a Zoom call video that went viral in February 2021, when
he proclaimed for what would become a global audience, "I'm here
live, I'm not a cat," as a wayward filter imposed the image of a
kitten over his face; this led to an interview on television's TODAY
show and other major media coverage; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Rod Ponton has demonstrated a
deep commitment to the legal profession and to public service, and
his accomplishments have earned the admiration and appreciation of
his fellow West Texas residents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby honor Rod Ponton for his contributions to West Texas and
extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Ponton as an expression of high regard by the Texas
Senate.