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1*A KUMXHJNTY CHRONICLE REVIEW WUNISDAY, JULY 14, 19t2r t 'has producedOrleans for 18 months. Then he^ *By Q AIL MARCEAUXthe 1963 graduating class of NedMand High School produced several fine professional people who (lave excelled in their fields and Home have returned to the Golden Triangle area, settling InMidcffcmty. Richard D. Hughes,First 'Assistant Criminal District Attorney for Jefferson County, is one of them.“Nederland was a specialplace for me from the beginning. Iremember how easy it was to maka f(iends and be acclimated to tqCachool. That atmosphere hae^plways hallmarked Nederland. It always gave so much to our family. Whatever success I’ve gained, I’ve wanted to give back to that community. Nederland has given me more than I've given it. It’s a great place to live,” Hughes exclaimed. And Hughes has given backmuekrto Nederland In civic ser-►vice. He is a past president of the Nederland Chamber of Commerce and the first president of the Midcounty YMCA. He is a past member of the Nederland Rotary. He also teaches an adult co-ed Sunday School class at the First Baptist Church of Nederland.He and his wife, Ilene, formerly a Martin, who was raised in Nederland too, were high school sweethearts. They live in Nederland on Franklin St. with their children John, 12 and Stuart,5.Hughes graduated from Lamar University with a government, pre-law degree. Then he served two years in the Navy, part of that in Vietnam. He graduated from Baylor Law School in 1971.Hughes worked as a corporate lawyer in the Legal Department of Shell Oil in Newmoved back to Nederland to join the district attorney’s office with Tom Hanna as assistant prosecutor.Hughes went into private practice in Nederland from 1974-80 before being appointed First Assistant Criminal District Attorney by James McGrath.‘‘We have 30 lawyers on the staff and 52 employees all together. This is the largest law office in the county,” he noted.Hughes was. on the football and track teams at Nederland High School, and a wrestling team before that. He has a deep love for competition and especially enjoys one on one endeavors.‘‘I like the thrill of competition in the courtroom. I had an early love and quest for competitiveness. Being a trial attorney or involved in criminal prosecution, you have to be prepared to make momentousdecisions that affect the lives of many people. Being taught in my family to do what is right insteadof satisfying everyone has helped ” he explained.me,“As first assistant, I’m in a policy, decision-setting role. It is a management and administrative position. I superintend other divisions of the office-trial division, family law, intake and civil division. Specifically I present cases to the grand Jury for indictment. I only try a select few felony cases,” Hughes said.His job is a pressure-packed position. “I try to give everybody fair treatment. I try to administer justice on an equal basis,” he added.Two highlights of his recent work stand out in Hughes’ mind.“Soon after I left the D.A. office the first time, I was appointed to represent a juvenile on a murder case. The case involvedvery complex legal issues»ilt;because of the absence of a comprehensive juvenile law. Therepresentation took two to two and a half years before the casewas decided. He waafotmd guilty of murder and put in the penitentiary for 10 years,” the attorneyrecalled. • • ‘ .He also mentioned a more recent trial of a capital murder case. “It took place ei^t yean after the crime. We had for• midable evidence problems. But we were able to obtain the death penalty. This was satisfying,_Hughes remembered.Hughes is a member of State* Bar of Texas, JeffOr County Bar Association lt;Texas County and District toroeys Association.His bobbies are also ratcompetitive, bunting and tern “I Uke the outdoors a great dothunt in Sabine county and di hunt around here. I usually trjulav tennis once a week,” the• ftomey said.Hughes’ parents also Nederland. They are M Mrs. Clifford W. Hughes, JIt,*3Reit manWhere you meetAPEftlgood health again
Newspaper Details
Port Neches Chronicle
Port Neches, Texas, US
Wed, Jul 14, 1982
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Gretchin M.
NA, 19 Aug 2020
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