[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E334-E335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING JUDGE THOMAS PATTERSON ``PATT'' MANEY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MATT GAETZ

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 19, 2018

  Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and pay tribute to 
a local hero who has dedicated his life to humble service; service to 
his country, service to others, and service to the bench. One can get a 
slight understanding of the impact he's had on the lives of others by 
some of the powerful testimonies his colleagues will give about the man 
and his work, such as, ``you will not find a more forceful advocate for 
justice'' and ``he is an irreplaceable asset to Okaloosa County.''
  The history of the life and work of Judge T. Patterson Maney is 
nothing short of astounding.
  In 1974, he was admitted to the Bars of Kentucky and Florida and 
after a year of practice in Kentucky, moved to Okaloosa County where he 
established a general practice. He was appointed Okaloosa County Court 
Judge by Governor Bob Martinez and took the bench on June 5, 1989.
  Brigadier General Maney's military service and experience played an 
intricate role in shaping his service on the bench. He served in the 
Army Reserve for almost 37 years in positions of increasing 
responsibility retiring as a brigadier general in 2007. During his 
reserve service, he was deployed to Panama, Haiti, Bosnia and 
Afghanistan for contingency operations. He commanded a reserve civil 
affairs brigade in Maryland as well as the 350 Civil Affairs Command in 
Pensacola and later served as the deputy commander of the Civil Affairs 
and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) and deputy commandant 
of the John F. Kennedy Special Operations School (Airborne) at Fort 
Bragg. In Bosnia, he served as the special assistant to the chief of 
staff and later as acting chief of staff of the Office of the High 
Representative, an international organization created to implement the 
Dayton Peace Accord. He played a key role in freedom of movement issues 
and security of meetings of the Bosnian tripartite Presidency and the 
visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to Sarajevo in April 1997. 
Later, in Afghanistan for 17 months, he served the U.S. Ambassador as 
senior advisor for the political sector with the status of attache. In 
that role, he coordinated with the office of the presidency, various 
ministers including the Ministers of Justice and the Supreme Court, and 
the Joint Election Monitoring Commission.
  In 2005, Brigadier General Maney was severely injured by a blast in 
Afghanistan and spent nearly 2 years recovering from those injuries. 
Brigadier General Maney returned triumphantly to the bench in May 2007. 
He has

[[Page E335]]

since been a staunch champion for veterans, mental health, and civil 
rights.
  Judge Maney's personal experience as a wounded warrior helped inspire 
him to create a Veterans Court in 2010 that, since then, has helped 
veterans dealing with issues related to their military service avoid 
getting caught up in the legal system.
  His advocacy and support of mental health has also been a cornerstone 
of his career. Judge Maney started the Okaloosa Mental Health Court and 
has been appointed three times to the Supreme Court's Task Force on 
Mental Health and Substance Abuse, where he advocated for passage of a 
veterans treatment court bill and for a revision of Florida's mental 
health laws. The Veterans Treatment Court Act was named for him, a 
singular honor for a county court judge. Because of his service as the 
Okaloosa judge supervising Baker/Marchman Act cases, he served on the 
statutory ``Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council'', 2010 to 2014. He 
also served on the statutory ``Florida Defense Support Task Force'', 
2011 to 2015 where he successfully pushed for the passage of a veterans 
treatment court law. As a judge who fulfilled statutory duties as head 
of the election canvassing board, he successfully supported two 
amendments to Florida election law to protect the voting and privacy 
rights of military service members.
  Patt Maney's guidance and expertise has been and will continue to be 
an invaluable asset to Northwest Florida. His determination and 
selfless service are an inspiration to all who are blessed to know and 
work with him.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged 
to recognize and honor Judge Maney for his countless contributions and 
accomplishments. I'd like to extend my gratitude to him for all that he 
has done for his country and community. As he will be retiring his 
gavel soon, I would like it included in the Record of the United States 
Congress, that there is absolutely no doubt that Judge T. Patterson 
Maney has served fairly, patiently, and followed the law.

                          ____________________