TITLE: Congratulating Justice Sam Griffith on his retirement from the 12th Court of Appeals.

SUMMARY: Congratulating Justice Sam Griffith on his retirement from the 12th Court of Appeals.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Justice Sam Griffith is retiring from the 12th Court of Appeals in 2015, drawing to a close a notable tenure on the court that has spanned 14 years; and WHEREAS, Justice Griffith earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University, and he received his law degree from St. Mary's School of Law; he began his legal career as a briefing attorney for Justice Paul S. Colley of the 12th Court of Appeals before entering private practice in Tyler; from 1997 to 1998, he was a juvenile court judge for County Court at Law No. 3 of Smith County, and from 1999 through 2000, he returned to private practice; he was elected to the 12th Court of Appeals in 2000 and began his first term on January 1, 2001, and he was reelected unopposed in 2006 and 2012; and WHEREAS, Board certified in criminal law and criminal appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Justice Griffith is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Smith County Bar Association; he is a member of the Texas Bar Association Judicial and Appellate Sections, and he has served on the Texas Bar Association Committee on Law Focused Education; he has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas; and WHEREAS, Justice Griffith has taught U.S. constitutional law at Yunnan University School of Law in China and at Koya University in Iraq; he has published and delivered articles on a variety of topics, from law to social psychology, and he is a regular speaker at legal seminars on criminal appeals and evidentiary issues; and WHEREAS, Despite his busy professional life, Justice Griffith has also found time to dedicate himself to community service; he has been chair of the board of directors of the local YMCA, secretary of the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Smith County, and a member of the board of the East Texas Farm and Ranch Club; he is active with the East Texas Food Bank food garden, and he has won more than 50 ribbons at the East Texas State Fair for the vegetables he has grown; and WHEREAS, A man of profound religious faith, Justice Griffith is also active in Christian missionary work, leading or participating in mission trips to Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala; his mission work in Iraq earned him the Global Encourager Award from the Global Evangelistic Relations Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, and in 2013, he received the Servant Leadership Award from the Texas TeenPact Leadership Schools; and WHEREAS, Justice Griffith's professionalism, integrity, and dedication to the law have greatly benefited his fellow Texans and earned him the respect and admiration of his peers, and he may indeed reflect with pride on his service to the 12th Court of Appeals as he embarks on the next exciting chapter of his life; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Justice Sam Griffith on his retirement from the 12th Court of Appeals and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Justice Griffith as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Hughes Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 2813 was adopted by the House on May 21, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House