Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Services for Mr. Alton Griffin will be at 11:00 a.m., Friday January 27, 2006, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. A viewing will be held at Rix Funeral Directors from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., on Thursday. The family suggests donations to the Texas Tech Law School Foundation, Alton Griffin Scholarship Fund, 1802 Hartford Ave., Lubbock, Tx 79409; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1510 Ave X, Lubbock, Tx 79401; or a favorite charity. Members of the Lubbock County Bar Association and the Lubbock Lions Club are designated as honorary pallbearers.

Sad news to report. Alton Griffin, charter member and past-president of LCDLA, former Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney, fierce advocate and friend, died this morning. Services are pending, and I will keep you informed.

Chuck Lanehart, LCDLA Court Liaison

The Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association hosted the 26th Annual Prairie Dog Lawyers Advanced Criminal Law Seminar January 6-7, and the State Bar’s webcast of the seminar was the first live CLE event of its kind to be made available in Texas. The 200-plus live participants established what is believed to be the largest attendance at any Lubbock County legal seminar. Co-hosted by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the program boasted 11.5 hours of CLE, and included several social events.

Highlighting the festivities was a luncheon January 6 honoring Lubbock County’s 50-year lawyers, held at the Texas Tech University School of Law. Seventeen of the 31 lawyers eligible for the honor appeared and were recognized, and each received a plaque commemorating significant contributions to the legal profession.* Nationally prominent Houston lawyer Dick DeGuerin, who is currently defending Congressman Tom Delay, inspired the overflow crowd with a rousing address on legal ethics.

LCDLA’s yearly blowout at Kershner’s 4-Bar-K rounded out the weekend’s festivities, with almost 300 in attendance for barbeque and dancing into the wee hours with Mike Pritchard’s Blue Thunder & The Lightening Horns.

Proceeds from the seminar and social events will benefit the Texas Tech Criminal Justice Clinic, a TTU law school program which gives students practical training and experience in criminal defense work.

Chuck Lanehart, LCDLA Court LiaisonLCDLA Hosts Record-Setting Seminar, Honors 50-Year Lawyers

The Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association will hold officer elections at the February 16 meeting, and nominations for officers will be taken from the floor at the January 19 meeting. The nominating committee has recommended the following slate of officers, and each has agreed to serve:

President: Robin Matthews
Secretary-Treasurer: Dennis Reeves
Vice-President for Education: Rusty Gunter
Vice-President for Membership: Laurie Key
Vice-President for Court Liaison: Chuck Lanehart
Director, Place 1 (1 year)*: Kelly Clark
Director, Place 2 (2 years)*: Trey McClendon
Director, Place 3 (3 years)*: Patrick Metze

*LCDLA Bylaws require three Directors with staggered terms, but LCDLA has done without directors for many years. Because of LCDLA’s recent growth in membership, activities and programs, the nominating committee felt that reinstating directors to the leadership establishment would be advisable. To accommodate the requirement of staggered terms, Director of Place 1 will initially serve a one-year term, with three-year terms thereafter. Similarly, Director of Place 2 will initially serve a two-year term, with three-year terms thereafter; and Director of Place 3 will initially serve a three-year term, with three-year terms thereafter.

LCDLA honored the 50 year lawyers from around the Lubbock area recently. Each person will be presented with an individualized plaque and recognized at the luncheon during the upcoming seminar. The following is the list of all those who were honored:

Mitchell Williams
Arthur K. Jones
Harold Harriger
Harry Jung
Worth Fullingim
William Moss
Carlton Dodson
James Brewster
James C. Bearden
Denzil Bevers
Forrest Bowers
James Bowman
Warlick Carr
Wendell Coffee
Ralph Daniel
J. Hadley Edgar
Cleddie Edwards
George Gilkerson
Alton Griffin
Hugh Harrell
Dan Hurley
Richard Jennings
Dale Johnson
Lawrence Melcher
Bobby Moody
Reed Quilliam
William Shaver
Roderick Shaw
Dean Shuman
Madison Sowder
Bill Tucker