[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25399]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     PAYING TRIBUTE TO DENNIS MAES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 19, 2004

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Dennis Maes, the 
Chief Judge of the Pueblo, Colorado, District Court. Dennis is a man of 
strong convictions whose upbringing and sense of dignity permeates his 
courtroom and ensures that the citizens of Pueblo receive fair 
consideration in the cases brought before his court. It is my privilege 
in recognizing Judge Maes' outstanding record of service before this 
body of Congress and this Nation.
  Judge Maes was born in Trinidad and grew up in Walsenburg, Colorado 
where he was the eldest of eleven children. His father Leo Maes served 
five terms as Mayor of Walsenburg and championed issues affecting the 
Hispanic community. Dennis' parents taught him the value of a good 
education and instilled in him the idea that a community can only be as 
viable and credible as its citizens.
  Judge Maes graduated from Colorado State University at Pueblo in 1967 
and immediately accepted a teaching position with Gardner Middle 
School. Dennis was driven to continue his education and attended the 
University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder, Colorado. During his 
studies, Judge Maes was involved in the movement to bring equal rights 
to Hispanic Americans and advancing the civil rights agenda. After 
completing his law degree Dennis, returned to Pueblo working in the 
Pueblo County Legal Services, and the public defender's office before 
his appointment as Chief Judge of Colorado's 10th Judicial District by 
Governor Roy Romer in 1995.
  Mr. Speaker, Dennis Maes is a dedicated judge who has made fairness 
and moral conviction the center of his life. The citizens of the Pueblo 
community have been blessed by his leadership for twenty-two years and 
I am honored to stand before this body of Congress and this Nation and 
recognize his impeccable record of service. Thank you for your service, 
Dennis, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

                          ____________________