[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 105 (Wednesday, August 3, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     CHIEF JUSTICE DAVID W. HARWELL

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, as everyone in this Chamber knows, our 
Nation was founded on a base of laws outlined in the Constitution and 
the Bill of Rights. These two documents dictate to lawmakers, from town 
council members to all of us in the Senate, how the law is to be made.
  Despite our best efforts, disputes sometimes arise about the 
constitutionality of a law, or if it was applied properly. Such 
questions are addressed through the Nation's judicial system, sometimes 
all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In my home State, South 
Carolina, the ultimate court of appeal is the State supreme court, 
where approximately 500 cases are heard, submitted, and disposed of 
each year. Those who serve on this court are charged with a great 
responsibility, as their actions very literally can change the lives of 
countless people. It takes an individual of great intellect and courage 
to serve effectively as an associate justice, but it takes a person of 
even greater abilities to successfully serve as the court's chief 
justice. My good friend David W. Harwell is such a person.
  For the past 3 years, David Harwell has served with great distinction 
as the chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. A man of high 
integrity, Chief Justice Harwell has established an admirable 
reputation for being a capable, fair, and thorough jurist who treats 
those who appear in his court with courtesy and respect.
  Chief Justice Harwell's tenure on the supreme court is the 
culmination of a distinguished career of service to South Carolina, 
which began with his election to the State house of representatives in 
1962, where he served for 11 years. He began his career as a judge in 
1973 when he was elected as a resident circuit judge and remained in 
that position until his election to the South Carolina Supreme Court in 
1980. Additionally, Chief Justice Harwell served his Nation as a member 
of the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1954.
  Mr. President, Chief Justice Harwell will soon leave the South 
Carolina Supreme Court and return to private practice. I would like to 
take this opportunity to commend him on the fine job he has done and 
wish him good health and happiness in all his future endeavors. We are 
proud of him and grateful for his distinguished and selfless service.

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