James Norton: “This bill honors C. Clyde Atkins by naming the courthouse located at 301 North Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida, as the C.…”

“This bill honors C. Clyde Atkins by naming the courthouse located at 301 North Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida, as the C. Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse. This bill has broad bipartisan support from the Florida delegation. Judge Atkins was a Federal judge for over 30 years in south Florida and was a leader in many capacities in his community. He presided over some of the most controversial cases in south Florida and often spoke for those who had no voice. He ruled that Miami schools would no longer be racially segregated. Judge Atkins found that the City of Miami was guilty of harassment of the homeless and stopped them from arresting the homeless for eating, sleeping and bathing in public. He also ruled that Haitian and Cuban refugees should receive equal treatment. In addition to Judge Atkins's courage from the bench, he also played a prominent leadership role in his own community. He served as president of the Dade County Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association. He was a trustee of Biscayne College and Mercy Hospital. He was also very active in the Catholic Church where he was named a knight of St. Gregory by Pope Paul VI. It is clear that Judge Atkins took the notion of being a public servant seriously and endeavored to make his service a large part of his life.”