Kenneth M. Hoyt
United States District Court for the
South District of Texas
Houston, Texas
Born: San Augustine County, Texas-March 2, 1948.
Education:Texas
Southern University (A.B. 1969); Texas Southern University, Thurgood
Marshall School of Law (J.D. 1972), where he served on the Law Review.
Judge Hoyt was appointed to the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Texas on April 1, 1988. Judge Hoyt was appointed
by President Reagan.
Kenneth Hoyt was
raised in a rural community in Texas. He and his two siblings were
raised by their parents in a loving and supportive environment. The
family had very little money and few material possessions.
Nevertheless, Judge Hoyt's parents worked hard to provide for their
family despite their circumstances. Unfortunately, they were not aided
in their efforts by the American civil justice system: Judge Hoyt's
father was a disabled American Veteran who was repeatedly denied the
service connected disabled status which would have provided the family
with basic veteran benefits. Judge Hoyt's decision to become a lawyer
was influenced by a desire to help those, like his father, whose
problems were ignored, or inadequately addressed by the justice system.
Judge Hoyt began
his professional career in the general practice of law at the firm of
Wickliff, King, Hoyt & Jones in Houston, Texas. He practiced civil
and criminal law in the Texas state and federal courts for over twelve
years. Additionally, he served as City Attorney for Kendleton, Texas
and Prairie View, Texas.
In 1981, Governor
Bill Clements appointed Judge Hoyt to preside over the 125th Civil
District Court of Texas. In 1984, Judge Hoyt sought and won the higher
office of a Justice on the Texas Court of Appeals. He was appointed to
the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas by
President Reagan in 1988.
In addition to
his professional responsibilities, Judge Hoyt has served on numerous
state and local bar committees and he has participated as a faculty
member for local law schools in trial and appellate advocacy programs.
Judge Hoyt's
experiences as a judge have met and in many ways have exceeded his
expectations. He believes that this positive result stems from his own
personal commitment to the administration of justice:
Certainly the
fact that I grew up in a rural community and suffered the humiliation
of poverty gives me a clearer vision of what justice should be. Beyond
my education, life's experiences have been challenging and rewarding
and have shaped me.
I encourage
persons who aspire to be lawyers to seek the moral high ground in all
their dealings. It seems to me that the ends of justice are seldom
served when the people who administer justice are merchants of chaos. I
encourage law students to develop a value system not based on money and
to let that system be the driving force in their lives.
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