HR0215

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to congratulate the family of R. 
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Eugene Pincham on the occasion of Mr. Pincham's posthumous 
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nomination for the Laurel Wreath Award from the Kappa Alpha Psi 
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Fraternity; and

 
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    WHEREAS, R. Eugene Pincham was born on June 28, 1925 in 
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Chicago; he graduated from Trinity High School in Athens, 
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Georgia in December of 1941; he attended LeMoyne College in 
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Memphis, Tennessee from 1942 to 1943; he earned his bachelor's 
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degree in political science from Tennessee State University in 
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1947 and his Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern 
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University School in Law in 1951; and

 
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    WHEREAS, R. Eugene Pincham had a long and distinguished 
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career in law; he was admitted to the Illinois Bar on June 18, 
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1951 and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in 
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1965; he worked in private practice with the firm of Evins, 
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Pincham, Fowlkes & Cooper from 1954 to 1976; he was also a 
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trial and appeals attorney in the State and federal courts from 
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1951 until December 6, 1976, arguing over 200 cases before the 
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appellate and Supreme Courts of Illinois, the U.S. Courts of 
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Appeals for the 6th, 7th, and 8th Circuits, and the U.S. 
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Supreme Court; and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, From December 6, 1976 to June of 1984, R. Eugene 
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Pincham served as a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, 
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where he was assigned to the Criminal Division; from June of 
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1984 to December of 1996, he served as a Justice with the 1st 
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District Appellate Court of Illinois in Chicago; from 1970 to 
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2008, he served as a lecturer-instructor in trial and appellate 
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techniques and advocacy in numerous university, including the 
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Harvard University School of Law, the Cornell University School 
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of Law, and the Northwestern University School of Law, among 
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many others; and

 
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    WHEREAS, R. Eugene Pincham was the recipient of numerous 
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awards and accolades for his work in the community, including 
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the Northwestern University Alumni Association Award of Merit, 
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the Tennessee State University Outstanding Alumnus Award, the 
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Chicago Bar Association Certificate of Appreciation, the Cook 
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County, Illinois Bar Association's Richard A. Westbrook Award 
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for Outstanding Contributions to the Legal Profession, the 
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Human Resources Development Institute's Merit Award, the Kappa 
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Alpha Psi Fraternity Achievement Award and Certificate, the 
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National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executive's 
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Appreciation Award, the BALSA of John Marshall Law School 
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Outstanding Jurist Award, the Percy Julian High School Award of 
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Appreciation, the Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee of 
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the ACLU Certificate of Service, the National College of 
 


 






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Criminal Defense Lawyers and Public Defenders Certificate of 
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Merit, the Minority Alliance Group Award for Outstanding 
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Achievement, the Tennessee State University Golden Anniversary 
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Citation Award of Merit, the John Marshall Harlan High School 
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Father of the Year Award, the United Black Laborers Community 
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Organization Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement, the 
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United Front of Cairo, Illinois Certificate of Achievement, and 
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the John Marshall Harlan High School Student Council Community 
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Award for Outstanding Service; and
 
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    WHEREAS, R. Eugene Pincham was a member of numerous 
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organizations, including the NAACP, the ACLU, the Kappa Alpha 
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Psi Fraternity, the Trinity United Church of Christ, the Law 
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Club of Chicago, the Executive Club of Chicago, the Board of 
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Directors of the John Henry Wigmore Club at Northwestern 
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University, the State of Illinois Dangerous Drugs Commission, 
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the Cook County Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, 
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the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the 
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Chicago Council of Lawyers, and the Association of Defense 
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Lawyers; he was a Past President of the John Marshall Harlan 
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High School Community Organization and a member of the 
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Judicature Society; he was also a former Trustee of the 
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Howalton Day School and the Morgan Park Academy; and

 
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    WHEREAS, R. Eugene Pincham married his college sweetheart, 
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Alzata Cudalla Henry, on August 31, 1948 in Louisville, 
 


 






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Tennessee; together, they had three children, Robert Eugene 
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Pincham, Jr., Andrea Michelle Pincham, and James Frederick 
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Pincham; and

 
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    WHEREAS, R. Eugene Pincham will be long remembered in the 
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legal profession and among his family and friends for his quick 
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mind, down-to-earth demeanor, astute knowledge of the law, and 
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gifted oratory skills; his legacy will live on in the 
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courtrooms of America and in the hearts of the many judges and 
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lawyers who knew him; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate the family of R. Eugene Pincham on the occasion of 
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Mr. Pincham's posthumous nomination for the Laurel Wreath Award 
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from the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and honor the memory of 
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this great man; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the family of R. Eugene Pincham as a symbol of our 
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esteem and respect.