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| Affiliation | Republican |
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| Name | Terry Keel |
| Address | P. O. Box 2910
Austin, Texas 78768, United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
January 13, 1958
(66 years)
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| Contributor | BILLYW |
| Last Modifed | BILLYW
Apr 27, 2004 03:17pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | State Representative, January 14, 1997 to present. Representative Keel is serving his fourth term as a member of the Texas House of Representatives and is Chairman of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, Chairman of the House Select Interim Committee on Sex Offender Statutes, and also serves as a member of the Law Enforcement Committee and the General Investigating Committee. District 47 covers a large portion of southwest Austin and also includes other communities such as Lakeway, Bee Cave, Briarcliff, Village of the Hills, Oak Hill, San Leanna, Spicewood, Sunset Valley, Manchaca, Circle C and Onion Creek. Rep. Keel has authored numerous legislative measures including major public safety and criminal justice enactments. In the private practice of law, Mr. Keel is a founding partner of Florey, Keel & Nassour, representing clients at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts in Austin and throughout Texas. Mr. Keel is also retained by the Austin Police Department Training Academy as a Consultant on criminal profiling. In May 1999 Representative Keel was named an honorary member of the Austin Police Association in recognition for his work as a legislator and his prior service as Travis County Sheriff and Assistant District Attorney.
Sheriff, Travis County, November 17, 1992 to January 1, 1997. The first Republican Sheriff elected in Travis County since Reconstruction, Sheriff Keel served as the county's chief law enforcement officer, supervising a staff of over 1,200 corrections and law enforcement personnel. Sheriff Keel successfully managed inmate populations exceeding 2,500 during the worst jail over-crowding era in Travis County history and established a program for housing jail prisoners in tents. He implemented numerous innovative initiatives, including: the construction of corrections facilities using inmate labor; the expansion of inmate agriculture, labor and education programs; the establishment of a professional victim services program with a crime-scene response; and the formation of joint law enforcement operations between the Travis County Sheriff's Office and the Austin Police Department in the areas of narcotics, criminal intelligence and training. Sheriff Keel received several distinguished law enforcement and civic awards, including the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal in 1995 from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Assistant District Attorney, Travis County, July 23, 1984 to November 17, 1992. Mr. Keel served as lead prosecutor in over fifty contested felony jury trials and held the position of Chief Prosecutor over several units, including: Major Crimes, Narcotics, Organized Crime, District Court, Child Abuse and Juvenile Prosecution. From 1987 to 1991 Keel also was assigned to Austin Police Department headquarters to establish and supervise the District Attorney's Office / Austin Police Department Repeat Offender Program, one of the first of its kind in the United States, consisting of specially trained prosecutors and police officers in a joint program targeting career criminals for apprehension and prosecution. As Chief of the Repeat Offender Program Unit, Keel participated in the arrest of over 200 felony career criminals and the service of more than 100 search warrants. In addition, he was designated as the lead Assistant D. A. in numerous capital murder, homicide, sexual assault and attempted capital murder cases, including the first courtroom case in Texas using PCR DNA. During his service as Assistant District Attorney, Keel received numerous honors and awards, including three certificates of appreciation from the Chief of the Austin Police Department (1986, 1991, 1992), awards from the Austin Police Association for the prosecution of career criminals (1986), for homicide prosecution (1989), and capital murder prosecution (1992), and award recognitions from the A.P.D. Sex Crimes Detail (1985), Hispanic Police Officers Association (1988) and Hispanic Crimes Unit (1988).
Education
University of Houston, College of Law-Doctor of Jurisprudence conferred May 1983.
University of Texas at Austin-Bachelor of Arts in English conferred August 1980.
LBJ High School, Austin, Texas-diploma conferred May 1976 (Senior Class President).
Professional Licenses and Memberships
Admitted to the State Bar of Texas, June 24, 1983. Licensed to practice law by the Supreme Courts of Texas and the United States. Licensed also in the federal district courts for the Western and Southern Districts of Texas, and the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Rep. Keel was also appointed by the District Attorney of Hays County to serve as a special prosecutor before the Hays County grand jury in 1999 - 2000. In 2000 and 2001 he was recognized by the State Bar of Texas for making outstanding contributions to the delivery of legal services to low income Texans.
Mr. Keel holds Master and Advanced Peace Officer licenses and is additionally certified as an Instructor of Peace Officers by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. From 1990 to 1996 he served as the penal code instructor for the Austin Police Department Training Academy.
Representative Keel served from 1997 to 2003 as an appointee of the Texas Attorney General to the Advisory Council of the Crime Victim's Institute and from 1995 to present he has served as a member of the St. Edwards University School of Behavioral and Social Sciences Advisory Board.
Other Recognitions and Awards
2003
Texas District and County Attorneys Association
TDCAA Law & Order Award
(in recognition of service to the Texas criminal justice system)
2003
Texas Municipal Police Association
Legislative Excellence Award
(for commitment to law enforcement and criminal justice)
2003
Wimberley Village Library District
Blanco County South Library District
Bulverde Area Rural Library District
Timpson Public Library District
(resolutions honoring Rep. Keel for assistance to public libraries)
2002
Texas Association of Business
Fighter for Free Enterprise Award
(for service in the 77th Legislative Session)
2002
Austin Police Department Training Academy
(for service as Instructor to the Police Department)
2001
TDCJ Crime Victim Clearinghouse
"Senator Ralph Yarborough Allied Professional Award"
(for substantial contribution to victims rights and services)
2001
Austin Fire Fighters Association
(in recognition of support to the profession)
2000
Commission on State Emergency Communications
(for service on the Agency Board from 1995-1999)
1999
The University of Texas System Board of Regents
(for service to the University of Texas System)
1999
Texas Library Association
(resolution in honor and recognition of Representative Keel)
1998
Amicus Dermatological Award
Texas Dermatological Society
(for service in the Legislature)
1993
The Society for Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(recognizing service to the organization and the community)
Published Articles
Criminal Law Changes to the Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure
Texas Bar Journal, September 2003
Changes to the Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure by the 77th Legislature
Texas Bar Journal, September 2001
Criminal Law Update-76th Legislative Session
Texas Bar Journal, September 1999
Videotaped Testimony of Child Victims
True Bill-the Newsletter of the Prosecutor Council, June 1984
Civic Activities
Emerald Society of Texas, Austin Police Department,
(founding member and charter board member)
Member, Emmaus Catholic Church, Lakeway
Life Member, Texas Ex-Students' Association
Personal
Born in Austin January 13, 1958 and raised in a family of six boys and one girl; fifth generation Austinite. Children: twin sons, Travis and Sean, age 17.
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