Former Travis County DA Ronnie Earle Dies At 78

AUSTIN, TX — Ronnie Earle, who served as Travis County district attorney for more than three decades, died Sunday after a long illness.

Earle was 78 years old. His service is enshrined at the building bearing his name where his successor, Margaret Moore, and her team of prosecutors work. A dedication ceremony re-naming the building in his honor at 416 West 11th St. took place on Sept. 24, 2018.

"I met Ronnie in 1973, when he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives," current DA Moore recalled in a prepared statement. "I worked for him in 1974 as counsel to a special House subcommittee that he chaired. When he ran for DA in 1976, I supported him. When he won, I asked him for a job. I worked for him his first term, until I was sworn in as Travis County Attorney in 1981. I was inspired by his vision of prosecution for Travis County."

Moore marveled at Earle's long, 32-year tenure as district attorney, calling his eight-term role as "...a legacy that will probably not ever be matched." She lauded his early proponence of criminal justice reform and non-traditional view of prosecution embracing community justice and victim advocacy initiatives that garnered him national recognition.

"He set the standard for Travis County prosecutors that endures today: Above all else, see that justice is done.," Moore said.

Moore now fills the role in an office building that bears Earle's name. A plaque affixed to the building shows his face with a personal quote: "This building is where justice is to be done. That makes it a sacred place. Justice is the highest expression of the human spirit. It calls us to be better than we are. We may all hope that we honor that call.”

Members of the Travis County Commissioners Court and the Travis County District Attorney's office were on hand for the dedication ceremony at the Ronnie Earle building, according to information in a press advisory at the time. The 125,000-square-foot edifice bearing Earle's name was lauded for the three stars given to its design by the Autin Energy Green Building program build to meet a minumum standared of LEED Silver.

Moore expressed gratitude for having joined Earle during the dedication ceremony. "My heart goes out to his wife Twila, and to his children," Moore said. "We in the DA family will be mourning his passing with them."

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt was there too. She issued a tribute for the late prosecutor in the form of a four-part tweet: "When I was graduating from law school and looking for ways I could have the most positive impact on the most marginalized members of my community, Ronnie Earle inspired me to become a prosecutor," the judge wrote.

"He showed us the way to community policing, wise use of prosecutorial discretion, restorative justice, jail diversion, bail reform and successful re-entry after incarceration," Eckhardt continued. "He cut a trail to justice in a state that persists to this day in criminalizing poverty, mental illness and substance abuse disorder."

She expounded: "Ronnie found ways to use his prosecutorial platform to build jail diversion programs, community engagement and expectations that Prosecution and Defense would work together to preserve and improve the health and safety of our entire community. His legacy looms large for those of us who knew him and for those who will come after him."

Among Earle's most notable accomplishments was the Public Integrity Unit he founded while serving as Travis County district attorney. The unit prosecuted some of the state's most prominent politicians but with mixed success, as the Austin American-Statesman noted in a report. Among those targeted by the unit were former Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

The aftermath of the unit's efforts: Mattox was acquitted by a jury and the charges against Hutchioson ultimately were dismissed and a money laundering conviction against DeLay was later overturned by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, as summarized by the Statesman.

Details on funeral services had not been disclosed as of Sunday.