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==Background==

==Background==

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Honaker was one of two children adopted by Hayward E. Honaker (1911–2001) and the former Faola Henderson (born 1917) in Laramie in Albany County in southern Wyoming. He has a sister (born 1954). The Honakers were of [[Swiss]] ethnicity; originally "Honegger," they came in the early 18th century to [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] One of Honaker's ancestors was with [[George Rogers Clark]] in the march to Vincennes, [[Indiana]] during the [[American Revolution]]. The Honakers settled in western [[Virginia]], and most Honakers still reside in either Virginia or [[West Virginia]].<ref name=honaker>Statement of Richard Honaker, April 24, 2008.</ref>​

Honaker was one of two children adopted by Hayward E. Honaker (1911–2001) and the former Faola Henderson (born 1917) in Laramie in Albany County in southern Wyoming. He has a sister (born 1954). The Honakers were of [[Switzerland|Swiss]] ethnicity; originally "Honegger," they came in the early 18th century to [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] One of Honaker's ancestors was with [[George Rogers Clark]] in the march to Vincennes, [[Indiana]], during the [[American Revolution]]. The Honakers settled in western [[Virginia]], and most Honakers still reside in either Virginia or [[West Virginia]].<ref name=honaker>Statement of Richard Honaker, April 24, 2008.</ref>​

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Honaker's paternal family came to Laramie in 1919 and operated a [[grocery store]] and meat market. His maternal family came to the Bighorn Country in 1915 and farmed sugar beets.​ Honaker graduated in 1969 from Laramie High School and was the first member of his family to receive a college degree. He procured his [[Bachelor of Arts]] with honors in [[English]] and [[government]] in 1973 from [[Harvard University]] in Cambridge, [[Massachusetts]]. At Harvard, Honaker and the later [[U.S. Senator]] [[Al Franken]] of [[Minnesota]] (who resigned under a cloud in 2017), washed dishes together as work-study students. Still another classmate of Honaker's was the assassinated [[Benazir Bhutto]] of [[Pakistan]]. At Harvard, he was a member of the Hasty Pudding Club.<ref name=casper>[http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/03/20/news/top_story/6fbf6fcf6aae840f872572a40004e07a.txt Casper Star-Tribune Online - Top Story<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

Honaker's paternal family came to Laramie in 1919 and operated a [[grocery store]] and meat market. His maternal family came to the Bighorn Country in 1915 and farmed sugar beets.​ Honaker graduated in 1969 from Laramie High School and was the first member of his family to receive a college degree. He procured his [[Bachelor of Arts]] with honors in [[English]] and [[government]] in 1973 from [[Harvard University]] in Cambridge, [[Massachusetts]]. At Harvard, Honaker and the later [[U.S. Senator]] [[Al Franken]] of [[Minnesota]] (who resigned under a cloud in 2017), washed dishes together as work-study students. Still another classmate of Honaker's was the assassinated [[Benazir Bhutto]] of [[Pakistan]]. At Harvard, he was a member of the Hasty Pudding Club.<ref name=casper>[http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/03/20/news/top_story/6fbf6fcf6aae840f872572a40004e07a.txt Casper Star-Tribune Online - Top Story<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

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In 1976, Honaker obtained his [[Juris Doctor]]ate from the University of Wyoming Law School in Laramie. He worked his way through law school by serving as the night editor of ''The Laramie Boomerang''.<ref name=casper/> Honaker is recognized by ''Super Lawyers'' magazine as among the top 5 percent of attorneys in the United States.<ref>[http://www.superlawyers.com/badges/lawyer/735c539b-5f53-47c0-97ed-1e211551cbe3.html Richard H. Honaker :: Lawyer - Rock Springs, Wyoming (WY) :: Attorney Badge :: Super Lawyers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 1989, he was licensed to practice before the [[United States Supreme Court]].<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.honakerlaw.com/hl_bio.html hl_bio<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

In 1976, Honaker obtained his [[Juris Doctor]]ate from the University of Wyoming Law School in Laramie. He worked his way through law school by serving as the night editor of ''The Laramie Boomerang''.<ref name=casper/> Honaker is recognized by ''Super Lawyers'' magazine as among the top 5 percent of attorneys in the United States.<ref>[http://www.superlawyers.com/badges/lawyer/735c539b-5f53-47c0-97ed-1e211551cbe3.html Richard H. Honaker :: Lawyer - Rock Springs, Wyoming (WY) :: Attorney Badge :: Super Lawyers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 1989, he was licensed to practice before the [[United States Supreme Court]].<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.honakerlaw.com/hl_bio.html hl_bio<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

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From 1976 to 1978, Honaker  was a state assistant attorney general and an aide to Democratic [[Governor]] Edgar Herschler. In 1979, Herschler named Honaker as Wyoming's second stat[public defender, in which capacity he supervised the work of thirty trial lawyers during a two-year stint. While he was a public defender, Honaker prosecuted a lengthy [[homicide]] case in Rock Springs and decided to open a law office there. He is the only person to have served as president of both the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association and Wyoming Bar Association, a position he held in 2002 and 2003. He was appointed by the [[Wyoming Supreme Court]] to the bar association's rules and disciplinary committees.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/olp/honakerresume.htm USDOJ: OLP: Honaker Resume<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

From 1976 to 1978, Honaker  was a state assistant attorney general and an aide to Democratic [[Governor]] Edgar Herschler. In 1979, Herschler named Honaker as Wyoming's second stat[public defender, in which capacity he supervised the work of thirty trial lawyers during a two-year stint. While he was a public defender, Honaker prosecuted a lengthy [[homicide]] case in Rock Springs and decided to open a law office there. He is the only person to have served as president of both the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association and Wyoming Bar Association, a position he held in 2002 and 2003. He was appointed by the [[Wyoming Supreme Court]] to the bar association's rules and disciplinary committees.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/olp/honakerresume.htm USDOJ: OLP: Honaker Resume<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

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In 2002, Honaker joined the [[Federalist Society]], a body from which President Bush has procured numerous court nominees. He is a board member of the Home School Legal Defense Association.<ref>[http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=Richard+H.+Honaker&fr=yfp-t-361&u=www.afj.org/assets/resources/nominees/afj-honaker-report.pdf&w=richard+h+honaker&d=eAK-HfH_Qi9L&icp=1&.intl=us Yahoo! Search Results for Richard H. Honaker<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He has also been an adjunct professor of business law at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.<ref name=autogenerated2>http://capwiz.com/cwfa/issues/alert/?alertid=11122486</ref>​

In 2002, Honaker joined the [[Federalist Society]], a body from which President Bush has procured numerous court nominees. He is a board member of the Home School Legal Defense Association.<ref>[http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=Richard+H.+Honaker&fr=yfp-t-361&u=www.afj.org/assets/resources/nominees/afj-honaker-report.pdf&w=richard+h+honaker&d=eAK-HfH_Qi9L&icp=1&.intl=us Yahoo! Search Results for Richard H. Honaker<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He has also been an adjunct professor of business law at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.<ref name=autogenerated2>http://capwiz.com/cwfa/issues/alert/?alertid=11122486</ref>​

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==Personal life==​

==Personal life==

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Honaker is an elder at Providence (formerly Pilgrim's) Reformed Church in Rock Springs, a small congregation akin to conservative [[Presbyterian]].<ref>http://incolor.inebraska.com/stuart/justice.htm</ref> In 1978, he married the former Shannon Kathleen Casey (born 1957), originally from the state of Cheyenne in Laramie County. The wedding ceremony, held in the home of Shannon's parents, was performed by U.S. District Judge Alan Bond Johnson, based in Cheyenne. Johnson first met Honaker when Honaker headed the indigent defender program. Judge Johnson describes Honaker as having a "warm and attentive demeanor to all persons without regard to their station in life." If confirmed to the court, Honaker and Johnson would be judicial colleagues.<ref>Letter to Craig Thomas from Alan B. Johnson, October 26, 2006.</ref>​

Honaker is an elder at Providence (formerly Pilgrim's) Reformed Church in Rock Springs, a small congregation akin to conservative [[Presbyterian]].<ref>http://incolor.inebraska.com/stuart/justice.htm</ref> In 1978, he married the former Shannon Kathleen Casey (born 1957), originally from the state of Cheyenne in Laramie County. The wedding ceremony, held in the home of Shannon's parents, was performed by U.S. District Judge Alan Bond Johnson, based in Cheyenne. Johnson first met Honaker when Honaker headed the indigent defender program. Judge Johnson describes Honaker as having a "warm and attentive demeanor to all persons without regard to their station in life." If confirmed to the court, Honaker and Johnson would be judicial colleagues.<ref>Letter to Craig Thomas from Alan B. Johnson, October 26, 2006.</ref>​

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"I believe he has the potential to be one of the finest trial judges ever to serve in this state. His commitment to fairness is second to none. I can truthfully say that there is no person I would rather have as a judge on a case, no matter what side of any issue I was on, than Dick Honaker."<ref>Eric Alden, Letters and Commentary section,  ''The Casper Star-Tribune,'' March 28, 2007.</ref>​

"I believe he has the potential to be one of the finest trial judges ever to serve in this state. His commitment to fairness is second to none. I can truthfully say that there is no person I would rather have as a judge on a case, no matter what side of any issue I was on, than Dick Honaker."<ref>Eric Alden, Letters and Commentary section,  ''The Casper Star-Tribune,'' March 28, 2007.</ref>​

 

==Wyoming leaders rally for Honaker==​

==Wyoming leaders support Honaker for judgeship==​

Shortly before his death, Senator Thomas released a statement which asserts that Honaker "has a broad range of experience over the last thirty years in both state and federal courts in Wyoming. While his credentials are certainly outstanding, I am particularly impressed with his character and his values which are deeply rooted in Wyoming. He has the right judicial philosophy &mdash; he knows the importance of interpreting the law while not legislating from the bench.<ref name=casper/>​

Shortly before his death, Senator Thomas released a statement which asserts that Honaker "has a broad range of experience over the last thirty years in both state and federal courts in Wyoming. While his credentials are certainly outstanding, I am particularly impressed with his character and his values which are deeply rooted in Wyoming. He has the right judicial philosophy &mdash; he knows the importance of interpreting the law while not legislating from the bench.<ref name=casper/>​

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