Attorney General Recognizes Eastern District Of Texas Employees

         WASHINGTON – The Litigation Support Team for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas was recognized by Attorney General Eric Holder and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson at the 30th annual Director’s Awards ceremony on Sep. 10, 2014 in Washington D.C.

The Eastern District of Texas was one of 44 districts represented at the ceremony which recognized 243 members of the Department of Justice at a ceremony held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.

In his prepared remarks to awardees, Attorney General Holder said, “Locally, nationally, and internationally, you represent the very best that this Department has to offer.  Your work embodies our ongoing commitment – not merely to win cases, but to do justice; to protect our fellow citizens from crime, violence, and terrorism; to empower the most vulnerable among us; and to uphold the rule of law.” 

EOUSA Director Monty Wilkinson echoed those sentiments, saying to the recipients, “You have persevered, and remained focused and motivated – achieving remarkable results in work that makes a difference in the lives of citizens across our great country. The vast scope of your collective accomplishments is nothing short of exceptional.”

The Litigation Support Team of Janet Holley and Garin Reetz in the Plano office; Keary Conrad in the Sherman office; Glenda Martin in the Beaumont office; and Donna Krise in the Lufkin office, were recognized for their outstanding vision and teamwork in support of the prosecutorial mission. While the unit officially formed under Ms. Holley’s supervision in 2010, the evolution of this team started before 2010, as they independently developed innovative practices to provide litigation support in their offices. Once formed, the members combined their individual knowledge and talents to elevate service across all offices. They inherently understand how to enhance a case by court presentations, bringing the district out of the dark ages of overhead projectors and flipcharts to state-of-the-art multi-media evidence presentations.

            “Today’s jurors are very sophisticated and they expect to be presented with evidence that is not only organized and persuasive but is presented in a fashion that helps them understand increasingly complex cases," said U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.  “The litigation support provided by our award winning team accomplishes that mission in spades.  Each of them has invested many hours in training and each of them spend many more hours in helping our prosecutors prepare what I believe are the best presented cases in east Texas.  These individuals are the consummate team players.  I am pleased that they have been recognized by our Executive Office but I not surprised – they are also great people.”

EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.