Dane Whitworth. David Sheppard, Ruth Ellen Gura and Gerry orris ...

Editor's Corner
Tributes to the Honorable Robert Mi Hill, Judge,
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
We suffered a major loss on October 19,
1987 when Judge Robert M. Hill passed
away while returning from his vacation.
Judge Hi suffered an asthma attack
aboard an airltner and died before an
emergency landing could be made in
Iceland.
Judge Hill was bornon January 23,1928
in Dallas. He graduated from Highland
ParkHigh School and received his B.B.A.
and L.L.B. degrees at the University of
Texas. He practiced law in Dallas with the
firm Woodruff, Hill, Kendall and Smith
fmm 1959 until 1970. President Nixon ap-
pointed him a United States District Judge
in 1970. President Reagan appointed Judge
Hill to the United States Court of Appeals
in 1984, where he was serving at the time
of his death.
In order to gain some proper measure
of Judge Hill, we contacted a number of
his close friends. Their tributes to Judge
Hill certainly demonstrate why he was
such a widely respected person.
Judge Irving L. Goldberg, United
States Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit:
"Judge Hill was deeply rwted not only in
Texas history through his family but also
in the tradition of its law andlawyers. He
was a man without prejudice, without intolerance,
and possessed of a desire to
reach the just result w~th all of the compassion,
fairnessandequality that all parties
to a controversy are entitled to receive.
He was true to the principles of the Constitution
in giving to all men, women,
regardless of ethnic background, color and
religion, the equality that they deserve
under the law. He was in my opinion a true
patriot who labored in the vineyards to be
sure that the fruit of his work bore compassion,mercy,
justice and understanding.
4 VOICE for the Defense I November 1987
May we in the future he blessed with more
Robert Hills."
Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham,
United States Court of Appeals for the
Fifth Circuit:
"I think Bob Hill was one of the reallv
outstanding trial judges. His unerring sense
of iustice and fairness and his unquestioned
iutkgrity made him a very st& judge.
He loved the outdoors and was very much
a Westerner. He was comfortable in his
jeans and boots, particularly at his place
in Santa Fe where he spent a lot of his
time. We have lost an excellent judge."
Judge Barefoot Sanders, United States
District Judge for the Northern District of
Texas at Dallas:
"I've known Judge Hill for a long time.
He ably represented plaintiffs while in
private practice. We were closely associated
during the years that I was on the
District Bench and while be was still here
as a District Judge. He loved being a
District Judge, there's no question about
that. I think heran a suoer courtroom. He
was a pretty demanding kind of judge but
he was also verv fair. He alwavs conducted
proceedings wlth what I wouid call a firm
good humor He was a real favorlte in the
courthouse. Everybody really liked Judge
Hill. He also enjoyed lifeanddealfng with
people as much as any person I have ever
known and so there are lots of tears being
shed around here at this time."
Ray Hutchison of Hutchison, Price,
Boyle and Brooks, P.C. (former member
of the Texas House of Representatives,
1972-77 and former chairman of the Texas
Republican Party):
"Bob Hill was a very very close personal
friend. As a matter of fact, I did not prac-
tice in his court because of our friendship.
Kerry P. FitzGerald
Judge Hill was the kind of judge that I
think the people expect a judge to be. He
had a great temperment and joy of the law
and for the law. He applied juslice and
legal principles fairly and conservatively.
He is just a great trlhute to the Federal
Jndic~ary and to the Bar. His loss 1s one
that cannot be measured either to the
Judicka~y or personally. I can tell just from
my calls today from people around the
state that he was just a very much adnured
person. He enjoyed life and had a good
life. You just can't measure the loss of a
person like that."
Judge Grady Jolly, United States Court
of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:
"I would say that Bob HA1 was one of the
fairest minded people whom I have ever
encountered. He was a gentle, unhurried, *
thoughtful, considerate, very very decent
human being. And I would say that if I
wereever acriminal defendant, he would
have been the judge whom I would have
wanted to have heard my case, because I
would have known that whatever the facts
I would have gotten the most impartial, un-
biased and fair consideration that I could
ask from any judge anywhere. He was
very knowledgeable of the law and had a
marvelous sense of humor. He loved life
and lived it to its fullest. He's just nearly
the most perfect judge whom I have ever
encountered." W