2013-042 Requesting our US Senators to forward to President Obama a bi-partisan slate of qualified judicial nominees to fill the vacant federal judge position in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division with preferenc

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RESOLUTION NO. 2013 -042 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS; RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES SENATORS, WORKING WITH APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS, FORWARD TO PRESIDENT OBAMA A BI- PARTISAN SLATE OF QUALIFIED POTENTIAL NOMINEES TO CONFIRM BY MARCH 31, 2014, A FEDERAL JUDICIAL NOMINEE FOR THE SHERMAN DIVISION OF THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, along with community, business, education, prosecutor, and judicial leaders from five counties in North Texas, representatives of the City of Paris, Texas attended the September 25, 2013 meeting of the Grayson County Bar Association at which our Congressman, the Hon. Ralph Hall, was to address the long term federal judicial vacancy in the Sherman Division of the Eastern District of Texas sitting at Sherman; and, WHEREAS, that judicial position has become deeply woven into the significant judicial, educational, and business fabric of more than 150 year history North Texas' Red River Valley as a place of deep honor and broad service; and, WHEREAS, the City Council of Paris vigorously and unanimously supports the Grayson County Bar Resolution arising from the powerful presentation of several federal and local officials at that September 25, 2013 meeting; and WHEREAS, our expression of concern is sufficient to request the urgent assistance of the President, our United States Senators, and our Congressional Representatives, given the short term potential for a catastrophic interference with the handling of Federal judicial affairs and the long term risk of complete loss of Federal judicial presence in Sherman and surrounding communities of North Texas, a regrettable conclusion based on the following facts: • The last permanent resident judge to serve the Sherman Division sitting at Sherman was the Honorable Paul N. Brown, nominated on September 11, 1985 by President Ronal Reagan and confirmed by the United States Senate on October 16, 1985; • Judge Brown served faithfully in that role, including past the time of his taking senior status on April 1, 2001; • Judge Brown ceased taking new cases on June 1, 2006 and retired on November 10, 2006, marking the end of 21 diligent years on the bench; • Judge Brown passed away on November 26, 2012; • The bench occupied by Judge Brown has now lain vacant for seven (7) years,