[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 191 (Thursday, December 8, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1241-E1242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING JUDGE RICHARD BALL UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE BENCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2022

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Madam Speaker, it is with the utmost appreciation for 
his distinguished career and life of service that I rise today to honor 
Judge Richard Ball of East Lansing. After three decades on the bench 
and nearly 20 years of service in the Michigan National Guard, I extend 
my congratulations to Judge Ball on his retirement and express my deep 
gratitude to him for his tireless efforts to preserve and promote 
justice and equality in Michigan, particularly in the veteran 
community.
  Judge Ball, a proud graduate of Michigan State University and Thomas 
Cooley Law School, began dedicating himself to the public good shortly 
after completing his undergraduate degree in 1972, when he joined the 
Michigan National Guard. During his 19 years with the Guard, he 
completed law school and began working in private practice, and also 
rose to the rank of Major, serving as a Staff Judge Advocate General. 
In 1993, Judge Ball was elected to the East Lansing 54B Circuit Court, 
where he has served for nearly 30 years.
  As a veteran himself, Judge Ball was quick to recognize that military 
life has many lasting effects on those who serve, and in 2013 he began 
serving as the presiding judge for the Ingham County Veterans Treatment 
Court. This model speciality court is a program that promotes sobriety, 
recovery, and stability for veterans by coordinating treatment and 
combining it with accountability based on the veteran's specific needs. 
During his time on the bench, this program has provided direct services 
for nearly 250 local veterans, indirect services for dozens more, and 
sports a remarkable graduation rate of 82 percent.
  In his nearly 50 years of public and community service, Judge Ball 
has been a beacon of light for so many in the veteran community. His 
unshakable belief in the principles of fairness, justice, and 
compassion have served as

[[Page E1242]]

an inspiring example to all. I am so grateful for his lifetime of 
advocacy, leadership, and service, and his passion for helping veterans 
in need. I extend my best wishes for happiness, health, and many 
Spartan victories in his retirement. The legacy of his life of service, 
his exemplary career, and his compassion for the plight of those who 
serve will live on in the hearts and lives of all those he reached, in 
the foundation he built with the Ingham County Veterans Treatment 
Court, and here, in the United States House of Representatives.

                          ____________________