[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 152 (Tuesday, October 20, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE LIFE AND WORK OF JUDGE WILLIAM WAYNE JUSTICE

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 20, 2009

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in 
remembrance of Judge William Wayne Justice who passed away on October 
13, 2009 at the age of 89.
  Judge Justice was one of the most remarkable judges in Texas history. 
Born in Athens, Texas on February 25, 1920, Justice's father actively 
encouraged him to pursue a career in law from a young age. The younger 
Justice went on to receive both an undergraduate and a law degree from 
the University of Texas before spending roughly four years in the army 
during World War II. Upon his return to the United States, he took up 
work at his father's law practice in Athens, and in 1961, he was 
selected by President Kennedy to be U.S. Attorney for the Eastern 
District of Texas. In 1968, Justice was appointed by President Johnson 
to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas.
  Judge Justice served in that capacity for more than 40 years and gave 
countless rulings that dramatically affected the way the State of Texas 
educated children, treated prisoners, and housed its poorest citizens. 
With an unwavering regard for the human condition, Justice ordered the 
integration of public housing, forbade inhumane treatment in prisons 
and the juvenile justice system, and upheld rulings that caused Texas 
to desegregate its schools. At a time when many of these decisions were 
unpopular, Justice made the hard choices and helped carry Texas into 
the modern era because of them.
  Madam Speaker, I am incredibly grateful for the decisions and 
sacrifices Judge Justice made for the people of Texas and the entire 
country. I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring and 
remembering this courageous sentinel who helped so many of our nation's 
most distressed citizens.

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