[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 90 (Thursday, June 30, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATIONS TO JUDGE CHARLES R. BUTLER, JR. ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 
                    ASSUMING JUDICIAL SENIOR STATUS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 29, 2005

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I 
rise to pay tribute to the Honorable Charles R. Butler, Jr., on the 
occasion of his assuming senior status on the bench of the United 
States District Court, Southern District of Alabama. For the past 
seventeen years, Judge Butler has served the families of the State of 
Alabama with compassion, dedication, and a tremendous level of 
commitment.
  A 1962 graduate of Washington and Lee University, and a 1966 graduate 
of the University of Alabama School of Law, Judge Butler was hired for 
his first position with Hamilton, Butler, Riddick and Denniston law 
firm in Mobile, Alabama. Within two years, he had moved on to work as 
an assistant public defender and, in 1971, was elected as District 
Attorney for Mobile County. In 1975, following his work as district 
attorney, Judge Butler went to work for Butler and Sullivan law firm 
and, ultimately, returned to a position with Hamilton, Butler, Riddick, 
Tarlton and Sullivan law firm.
  President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Butler to his position as a 
district judge in 1988, and he began his official duties on November 1 
of that year. From July, 1994, to February, 2003, he served as the 
southern district's chief judge, and he moved to senior status on March 
28, 2005.
  Along with his many professional responsibilities, Judge Butler has 
also served as a member of numerous State and Federal justice programs. 
This long list includes memberships on the Eleventh Circuit Judicial 
Council, the Executive Committee of the Eleventh Circuit Judicial 
Council, the Eleventh Circuit Criminal and Civil Pattern Jury 
Instruction Committees, the Judicial Conference Committee on Criminal 
Law, and the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the 
United States. His work in these areas, as well as his professional 
accomplishments, has also resulted in public recognition and many 
awards during his long years of public service.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing 
Judge Charles R. Butler, Jr., for his tremendous contributions to the 
citizens of the First Congressional District and of the entire State of 
Alabama. The experience and enthusiasm he brought to his job and the 
concern and compassion he displayed for all citizens in our State are 
unquestioned and unparalleled. He has indeed been a genuine asset both 
to the district court and to the thousands of men, women, and children 
he has assisted over the past two decades. I am proud and honored to 
call him my friend.
  Make no mistake, the Judge's talents and experience will continue to 
be of great value to his colleagues in his new role as senior judge, 
and I am confident he will continue to remain actively involved in the 
United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama, and the 
life of the Mobile community for many years to come. Along with his 
friends and colleagues throughout Alabama, I wish to extend to Judge 
Butler and his family all the best now and in the future.

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