[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12736]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     IN MEMORY OF JUDGE JIM HUDSON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. MIKE ROSS

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 18, 2009

  Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Jim 
Hudson of Texarkana, Arkansas, who passed away on May 3, 2009, at the 
much too early age of 56. As a man of faith, a devoted husband and 
father, and a committed statesman, his life and legacy is an example to 
us all.
  As a circuit judge for the 8th judicial district south serving Miller 
and Lafayette Counties since 1991 and as a former prosecuting attorney, 
Jim was one of the most fair-minded and selfless people I have had the 
pleasure to know. Arkansas lost a true public servant with Jim's 
passing and he will be deeply missed.
  I knew Jim my entire adult life and was proud to call him my friend. 
His steadfast commitment to justice and his devotion to his community 
made Jim a person many of us looked up to and respected, as we 
witnessed Jim help countless individuals and families throughout his 
career in public service. He was so respected in his profession that 
both Arkansas's U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor recently 
selected Jim as a possible nominee to fill a U.S. district judge's 
position in the Western District of Arkansas, a position for which he 
would have been perfectly suited.
  Jim's cheerful personality was contagious and he was liked by all he 
encountered. In fact, over the course of Jim's difficult five-week 
struggle with post-surgical complications, a website updated daily with 
information regarding his progress was visited more than 60,000 times.
  As a respected jurist, Jim's greatest legacy is to the legal 
profession where he had a coveted grasp of complex legal issues and a 
commitment to helping troubled youth find their way. He also mentored 
numerous young lawyers and jurists that now practice across the region, 
passing on his knowledge and teachings that exemplified his fairness 
and passion for law. His legacy will live on for decades in our 
region's legal system through the many lives and careers he touched.
  My thoughts and prayers and those of every Arkansan are with Jim's 
family during this difficult time, especially to his wife, Kathy; his 
two daughters, Sarah and Claire Hudson; his stepmother, Jane Hudson; 
and, his grandson, Jaxson Hudson.
  Jim left us much too early and those of us who knew him will always 
remember the laughter and lessons he shared with us all. We too often 
forget how much one person can make a difference in this world and 
Jim's life and legacy is an example of how one man can better the lives 
of so many, the profession he cared so deeply about and the church, 
community and state he called home.

                          ____________________