[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 120 (Friday, September 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE DISTINGUISHED CAREER OF JUDGE JAMES BUCKNER

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                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 11, 1998

  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Judge James 
Buckner on his retirement. He has served Rutherford County for the past 
36 years as General Sessions Court Judge.
  Judge Buckner was appointed to the judgeship in 1962 by Governor 
Buford Ellington and has won every re-election since then. Perhaps this 
is due to his way of treating people--equally and fairly--regardless of 
their social status. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice A.A. Birch can 
testify that Judge Buckner's manner of meting out justice is 
consistent. As Birch tells it, when he was a Court of Criminal Appeals 
Judge, he got a speeding ticket and thought he might get a break from 
Judge Buckner. He explained to the judge that he had been testing his 
brakes by speeding up and slacking off, when he got pulled over for 
speeding. Judge Buckner politely listened to Birch and then fined him 
anyway.
  A lot has changed since James Buckner became judge. My very first 
court case as a fledgling, practicing attorney was before Judge 
Buckner. For the first 11 years of his judgeship, he handled all 
criminal, civil and juvenile cases in Rutherford County. His position 
was part-time, but it was actually a full-time job at part-time pay. 
Judge Buckner had to maintain a private law practice to make ends meet. 
The state legislature eased his workload somewhat by creating a second 
General Sessions judgeship to handle juvenile cases. Now, Rutherford 
County has three General Sessions judges, four Circuit Court judges and 
one Chancellor. Before he retired, Judge Buckner routinely had upwards 
of 600 civil and criminal cases on the docket. The high number of cases 
pending can be attributed to the astronomical growth of Rutherford 
County.
  Judge Buckner is a man of integrity. His sense of public service can 
be traced back to his father, George Buckner. George Buckner was an 
attorney who would later serve as a state representative. The late 
Congressman Joe L. Evins' first job out of law school was as an 
attorney working for George Buckner.
  Judge Buckner's sentencing style is well known in the community. 
After handing down the appropriate sentence, he would say, ``And--have 
a nice day.'' Well, Judge Buckner, I sentence you to a long and happy 
retirement spent with family and friends. And--have a nice day.

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