SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 626
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 State of Texas, 88th
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 from the
Texas Senate.
Gutierrez, Blanco
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 22, 2023.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate