Ronnie Earle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ronnie Earle
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Earle on a panel on ethics and government at Netroots Nation in Austin, Texas, July 2008
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| District Attorney of Travis County, Texas | |
| In office 1977–2009 |
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| Preceded by | Robert O. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Rosemary Lehmberg |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives for the 37th district | |
| In office July 29, 1973 – December 14, 1976 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ronald Dale Earle
February 23, 1942 Fort Worth, Texas |
| Died | April 5, 2020 (aged 78) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
Ronald Dale Earle (February 23, 1942 – April 5, 2020) was an American politician and judge who was, from January 1977 to January 2009, the District Attorney for Travis County, Texas. He became nationally known for filing charges against House majority leader Tom DeLay in September 2005 for conspiring to violate Texas' election law and/or to launder money. In Texas, Earle was known for his criminal justice reform efforts which focused on crime prevention, alternative sentencing, victim advocacy, and the reintegration of former offenders into society. In 1983, Earle - an Eagle Scout - prosecuted himself for an election law violation after missing a campaign finance filing deadline by one day; he was fined $212. Earle was a fixture in Travis County politics and served in public office there for more than 30 years, joking that he was asked if he was the "District Eternity".
Earle spoke extensively on his belief that the law guided public responses to crime but that it was society's collective "ethics infrastructure" that required support to deliver a safer, more just, and more livable community. This belief guided him, as he told the Austin Chronicle in 2008, "It really informs everything I've tried to do – well, not everything, but most of the things I've tried to do as district attorney, especially the most progressive and innovative things that we have done in this office. And the reason is because the law doesn't teach you how to act. ... What I have come to call the 'ethics infrastructure' teaches you how to act. And that is in that work of mommas and daddies and aunts and uncles and teachers and preachers and neighbors and cousins and friends – that's where you learn how to act, not from the law."
Biography
Early life
Earle was born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised on a cattle ranch in Birdville, Texas. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, earned money working as a lifeguard, played football, and was president of his high school student council.
Earle moved to Austin when he was 19 to attend the University of Texas and the University of Texas School of Law. In 1967, while a law student, he went to work in the office of Texas Governor John Connally.
After graduating from law school, he was appointed and served as a municipal judge in that city from 1969-72. At the time, he was the youngest judge in Texas.
Earle was elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1972, serving until 1976. He was elected district attorney of Travis County in 1976 and served until 2008. He faced opponents only twice during his unprecedented tenure.
Earle was married to his second wife, Twila Hugley Earle, for nearly three decades. With his first wife, Barbara Ann Leach Earle, he had two children, Elisabeth Ashlea Earle and Charles Jason Earle. He also had one stepdaughter, Nikki Leigh Rowling, and four grandchildren; Alexandra Clare Leissner, Avery Elise Leissner, Adelaide Clara Earle, and Elias Alistair Earle.
Career as the District Attorney
The Travis County District Attorney's office investigates and prosecutes crimes related to the operation of the Texas state government. Earle was elected as a Democrat in the city of Austin. He was, and his successor now is, the only Democrat with statewide prosecutorial authority.
During his tenure, Earle prosecuted a variety of elected officials from both sides of the aisle, often dismissing accusations of partisanship by pointing out that prosecutions tend to focus on officials in power. He prosecuted Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox, a Democrat; United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Republican; and - in his most high-profile case - United States House Majority Leader, Congressman Tom Delay, a Republican. Mattox was acquitted by a jury, Hutchison's case was dismissed, and DeLay was found guilty of money laundering, but his case was later overturned on appeal by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
While his high-profile prosecutions of elected officials garnered the most press attention, it was Earle's work in criminal justice reform that was his primary focus. He was an early champion of reforms that, in his words, were “engaging the community in its own protection.” Earle's innovations focused on crime prevention, alternative sentencing, victim advocacy, and the reintegration of former offenders into society. He spoke nationally on this work, and engaged in criminal justice reform efforts until his death.
In late 2007, Earle announced that he would not seek reelection to his post. His departure precipitated a race to fill his seat. Four Democrats, all employees of his office, ran for the seat. In the primary election held on March 4, 2008, no candidate received 50 percent of the vote. A runoff election was held between the top two finishers, and Rosemary Lehmberg – whom Earle had endorsed – won handily. She faced no Republican opponent in the general election. She took office in January 2009 and is the first woman district attorney in Travis County history.
In 2010, Earle ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Texas, using the campaign to promote his criminal justice reform agenda.
Later life
Earle retired in Austin and remained active in criminal justice reform efforts.
Immediately after Earle announced his retirement as District Attorney of Travis County in December 2007, he began being mentioned as a possible statewide candidate. In the spring of 2009, Earle's name began being mentioned specifically in context with a race for either Texas Attorney General or Texas Governor.
Earle said he was considering a run for one of the two posts. On June 30, 2009, an Internet draft movement, DraftRonnie.com, was launched to urge Earle to run for Texas governor. The Draft Ronnie website and draft movement ended in September 2009, when Democrat Hank Gilbert entered the race for Texas Governor. On December 18, 2009, Earle filed the necessary paperwork to run for Lieutenant Governor of Texas but was defeated in the Democratic primary by Linda Chavez-Thompson, a labor union activist. She, in turn, was defeated in the general election by the incumbent Republican David Dewhurst in November 2010.
Earle died in Austin, Texas on April 5, 2020 from complications of COVID-19, exacerbated by a long illness. He was 78 years old.
