[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 18, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE CAREER OF HON. JOHN T. CURTIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 18, 2016

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and legacy 
of service of the Honorable John T. Curtin who is celebrating his 
retirement from the post as a United States District Judge for the 
Western District of New York. After 48 years on the bench, no other 
local judge has served longer or, many would argue, with greater 
distinction than Judge Curtin.
   Nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 at the urging of 
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, Curtin was a U.S. District Attorney with a 
reputation for organized crime investigations. As a federal judge, it 
was the 1972 Buffalo Public Schools desegregation suit that made Curtin 
a household name. His ruling led to a plan that included the forced 
busing of black and white students and the creation of specialized 
magnet schools designed to encourage the voluntary transfer of 
children. The order he signed would be hailed as a national model for 
how to integrate a diverse school district. Curtin also issued orders 
to desegregate Buffalo's police and fire departments, a move that 
ushered in a new generation of women and minority officers and 
firefighters which remains in effect to this day.
   In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Curtin oversaw a huge lawsuit 
about toxic waste dumped in the Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara 
Falls. The case led to the relocation of hundreds of residents and 
became a national rallying cry for environmentalists. He would then 
later oversee the L.A. Boys gang case, in which he gave two of the 
longest prison terms in local history. Also, before most other 
Americans, he recognized the futility of the war on drugs and the 
damage it caused, when he stopped hearing drug cases more than 20 years 
ago.
   Inside and outside the courtroom, Curtin was known for his soft-
spoken demeanor and even-handed temperament. Curtin was well known for 
his courage and independence and his retirement marks the end of an era 
in Buffalo federal court, an era marked by landmark rulings and 
historic court cases.
   Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me a few moments to honor the 
career of the Honorable John T. Curtin. I ask that my colleagues join 
me in expressing our congratulations on an accomplished career and to 
commend his dedication to his profession and the Western New York 
community.

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