[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17546]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            JUDGE RUSTY LADD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the 
Honorable Judge Rusty Ladd--a great man, a tireless public servant, and 
an advocate for the homeless.
  Larry Brown ``Rusty'' Ladd passed away Friday, September 30, 2011, 
and he will be missed by all who knew him. I was privileged to know 
Judge Ladd, and I know the legacy he leaves behind will not soon be 
forgotten by his family, his friends, or his community, and especially 
Irene and the children.
  Rusty was born in Breckenridge, Texas, on August 8, 1952, as the 
oldest son of a cotton ginner. He graduated from Lubbock Christian 
College in 1975 with a degree in Biblical Studies, and joined the 
police force in 1977. In 1988, he graduated from Texas Tech Law School 
and started his own practice as a defense attorney in Dallas. He then 
moved back to West Texas as a prosecutor in Amarillo and Plainview. In 
1996, he continued his practice in Lubbock as assistant and then deputy 
district attorney at the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office. In 
1999, Rusty assumed the judge's bench of the Lubbock County Court-at-
Law No. 1.
  When he took the bench, he said, ``I'm a new judge, and in taking the 
bench, I'm going to be able to fulfill my oath to defend the laws of 
the State in an absolutely fair and impartial way.'' He was true to his 
word--serving fairly and impartially, compassionate when possible and 
firm when necessary.
  Rusty showed kindness not only in the courtroom but also on the 
streets of Lubbock. He opened his heart to the homeless in the Lubbock 
community, serving on the homeless committee of the Lubbock City 
Council since 2010 and volunteering through Carpenter's Church. Rusty 
dedicated his time and effort to serving the poor and the marginalized.
  ``The thing a homeless person misses the most is not food or 
shelter,'' Ladd said. ``It's a genuine relationship with somebody 
that's got a stable life going on.'' His Christ-like attitude toward 
the poor is inspiring, and I hope and pray that we can continue the 
selfless acts that he initiated.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending my sincere thanks to Judge 
Rusty Ladd for leaving this world a better place than he found it. I am 
truly honored to recognize his accomplishments. He will certainly be 
missed, but he will never be forgotten by those who knew him and were 
touched by his life.

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