Rick Hill: “I am pleased today to present to the House H.R. 158, legislation that would designate the United States Courthouse in…”

“I am pleased today to present to the House H.R. 158, legislation that would designate the United States Courthouse in downtown Billings as the James F. Battin State Courthouse. While there are a few Members in and around this chamber who remember Jim Battin as Montana's eastern Congressional District representative, and others who remember him as a distinguished member of the Federal bench, I want to take a few minutes today to give my colleagues some reflections on the life of the man we will honor today. James Battin earned a reputation for effectiveness and for integrity during five terms here in the Congress and for 27 years on the Federal bench. His accomplishments range from building new protections for the environment and wilderness preserves, to rulings on streamlining the Federal Judiciary proceedings. He, for example, created the precedent for the now universally accepted six-man Federal jury in Federal cases. After high school, James Battin served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. And after the war, he began his career in public service as a city attorney in Billings, Montana.”