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“HONORING JUDGE JOE FISHER” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1060 on June 20, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING JUDGE JOE FISHER
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HON. NICK LAMPSON
of texas
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, June 20, 2000
Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in great sadness to honor Judge Joe Fisher, who passed away yesterday, June 19th. Judge Fisher was a remarkable man who was committed to his community, his country, and above all, his family.
Judge Fisher received his law degree from the University of Texas in 1936 and was appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower as a U.S. District Judge in 1959. Following his appointment many of his rulings set legal precedents.
In 1972, he ruled for the first time that manufacturers of asbestos that didn't warn workers of the potential dangers could be held liable and awarded a family $79,000 in damages. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court and is still the basis for law today. The first desegregation plan for Beaumont was drafted by Judge Fisher in 1970 after the U.S. Justice Department ordered the integration of the South Park school district in Beaumont.
Always a man who believed in equality and justice, in 1994 Judge Fisher struck down the Klu Klux Klan's attempt to adopt a highway as part of a state highway cleanup program. He was a man of great courage he wrote in his decision that members only applied ``as subterfuge to intimidate those minority residents * * * and discourage further desegregation.''
After he retired from active duty in 1984, he continued to work full time as a senior judge and continued to hear a substantially full caseload up until two weeks before his death. His impact on the community could be felt outside the court room as well. Judge Fisher contributed to the Salvation Army and the YMCA.
He was of the utmost character, and his attributes of selflessness and commitment to others are rare gifts that this nation was lucky to have. Judge Fisher was a man who served his country as a Federal Judge with great pride and devotion. He often thought outside the box to make sure that his decisions were fair and honorable.
His work was part of the fiber of Southeast Texas, and with his passing a great loss will be felt in the spirit and the heart of our community. Today, as an American we lost a great jurist, but as a Congressman I have lost a mentor and a friend.
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