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PR: 2016 Reading of Declaration of Independence

June 21, 2016 Leave a Comment

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

7th ANNUAL READING OF
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Houston, Texas – In celebration of Independence Day, the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) is holding its 7th annual reading of the Declaration of Independence as we celebrate its 240th anniversary. This year’s event will be led by JoAnne Musick, HCCLA’s immediate past president.

HCCLA’s reading of the Declaration is an annual tradition that was started in 2010 by past president Robert Fickman. Last year our tradition was shared in 139 counties across Texas, covering more than one-half of all county seats. This year, Robert Fickman has led the statewide effort through our affiliate, TCDLA, and has secured readings in all 254 counties within Texas. HCCLA continues to lead Texas with the largest gathering, boasting over 100 local attorneys, judges and Houstonians in attendance.

The Declaration of Independence is our nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty embodying a stand against tyranny. Our founders resisted the illegal and immoral practices of the crown. Today, we continue to fight against the abuses of government: police and prosecutorial overreaching and misconduct. Prosecutors continue to withhold evidence, courts persist in plea mills, police abuse our citizens, and appellate courts engage in intellectual dishonesty to achieve a desired result while disregarding rules of law. Our reading is a reminder to all that abuses will be exposed and the government will be held accountable.

Please join us in honoring our nation’s most sacred document in the spirit of independence:

 

When:             Friday, July 1, 2016
Where:           Harris County Criminal Justice Center
                           1201 Franklin Street, Houston, Texas
(front steps of the courthouse)
Time:              11:30am

 

The Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association is the largest local criminal defense bar in the United States with more than 800 active members.

CONTACT: JoAnne Musick via email or 832-448-1148

More information on our tradition can be found here

Download (PDF, 125KB)

 

Filed Under: press release Tagged With: declaration of independence, harris county, independence, membership, public event, tyranny

Free from Tyranny

July 4, 2015 1 Comment

11713762_10207087343963333_5644811668517364144_o11538967_10207087337843180_4432589235042740427_oOn July 2, 2015 members of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association again assembled on the courthouse steps for our annual reading of the Declaration of Independence. Began in 2010 by Robert Fickman, this was our 6th Annual Reading.
10636874_10207087333843080_3404999347319209620_oAlways moving and inspiring, this year we were fortunate to have the added joy of hearing two Wor11700626_10207092943223311_2599068859094080682_old War II Veterans, Virgil Poe and Joseph Varela Sr., read with us.

We would like to thank all those in attendance as well as those who participated in the reading.

Readings by:
Virgil Poe, JoAnne Musick, Todd Dupont, Chris Tritico, Paul Schiffer, John Raley, Evan Myers, Carmen Roe, Damon Parrish II, Jason Sosa, Robert Fickman, Joseph Varela Sr. (assisted by his son Joe Varela Jr.), Grant Scheiner, Alex Bunin, Danny Easterling, Justin Harris, Ernesst Bo Hopman, Vivienne Schiffer, Mark Metzger, Drew Prisner, Gemayel Haynes, Sarah Wood, Mike Trent, Paul Kennedy, Robert Pelton, Vivian King, Wade Smith, Paul St. John, Jackie Carpenter, Thuy Le, Alejandro Macias, Philip Gommels, Tristan Legrande, Mary Moore, J. Julio Vela, Mark Bennett, Earl Musick, and Nicolas Hughes.

Special thanks to these judges who attended:
Brad Hart, Jay Karahan, Susan Brown, Kristin Guiney, Robin Brown, Brett Busby, Marc Brown, Brock Thomas, Denise Bradley, Mike Fields, Paula Goodhart, Mary Lou Keel, and Michael Schneider.

Very special thanks to those behind the scenes that make it all happen:
Christina Appelt, Joel Avendano, and Bob Rosenberg (official HCCLA photographer).

Our photos can be found via Bob Rosenberg’s Facebook (public posting) here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

We are proud to have started this tradition and watch it grow across the State of Texas. Joined by TCDLA, Robert Fickman has grown this event to cover more than one-half of Texas Counties. A recap can be found here: http://www.criminaldefensedeclarationreading.com/

Some of our members have blogged their personal experiences:

JoAnne Musick, HCCLA President

Philip Gommels, Board Member

You can view the video of our reading here: https://youtu.be/3Bm55f-FQnI

And lastly, KTRH added a little insight into the practice!

Filed Under: celebrations, declaration of independence, honor, justice, Members, Public Trust Tagged With: 4th of july, courthouse, declaration of independence, fourth of july, free from tyranny, freedom, freedom rings, hccla, honor, independence, justice, tcdla, veterans

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