[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 155 (Thursday, October 22, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING DON CARPENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 22, 2015

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a friend, mentor 
and tremendous public servant, Don Carpenter. After 20 years as a 
district court judge and 42 years in the practice of law, Judge 
Carpenter retired from the bench on October 2, 2015.
  Mr. Carpenter began his legal career in 1973 as an associate at a 
Cape Cod law firm. Deeply dedicated to the local community, he became a 
public prosecutor shortly thereafter. And for the next 21 years, he 
faithfully served the people of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket 
Counties, working his way through the ranks to become the First 
Assistant District Attorney.
  He was known as a firm but fair prosecutor who embraced our 
responsibility to apply the law equally to all. He knew that, while the 
law could not heal all wounds or right every wrong, it is the strongest 
tool we have to deliver on the promises of a just society.
  His commitment to the Cape Cod community led to his nomination to the 
state bench. I cannot tell you how many cases Judge Carpenter heard 
over his two decades in that role. How many disputes he resolved. How 
many lives he impacted. How many addicts he helped get healthy. How 
many victims he helped find closure. But I can tell you that there is 
at least one young prosecutor he helped mentor.
  I will never forget knocking on his door after a trial, seeking 
insight into what I could have done differently or advice on which 
pitfalls to watch out for the next time. His door was always open, to 
prosecutors and defense attorneys alike. And, for me, his advice was 
simple and direct--do what you think is right. The law grants you the 
ability to request the loss of someone's liberty. Use it wisely. Don't 
take it lightly.
  Mr. Speaker, over the span of a 40-year career in our justice system, 
Judge Carpenter used the practice of law wisely, fairly and honestly. 
His retirement is a loss for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the 
residents of Cape Cod. We wish him and his family well in this new 
chapter in their lives.

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