TITLE: Honoring attorney Rod Ponton for his contributions to West Texas.

SUMMARY: Honoring attorney Rod Ponton for his contributions to West Texas.

FULL TEXT:
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 President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 22, 2023.