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Ceremony Honoring Sam Madison & His Son For Heroism Beyond the Call of Duty

ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT SAM MADISON'S SON, SAM MADISON, JR., IS A CORNER BACK FOR THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, AND ON SEPTEMBER 13 OF 1998, AS OFFICER MADISON AND HIS SON WERE LEAVING MIAMI'S PRO PLAYER STADIUM, THEY WITNESSED A SERIOUS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, IN WHICH MIAMI-DADE POLICE OFFICER RUBEN JONES WAS CRITICALLY INJURED. OFFICER MADISON RESPONDED TO THE EMERGENCY, BY IMMEDIATELY COMMENCING RESUSCITATION OF OFFICER JONES. AND SAM JR. WENT TO SUMMONS EMERGENCY AID. THIS WAS SUMMARIZED IN A LETTER TO CARLOS AFTER ARE AEZ, WHO NOTED THAT -- ALVAREZ, WHO NOTED THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LOSS 9 OFFICER JONES -- HAVE LOST OFFICER JONES BEFORE THE FIRE AND RESCUE ARRIVED, IF NOT FOR SAM MADISON. IT IS FOR THIS WE COMMEND HIS VALUED ASSISTANCE. HE TEND IS HE A CREDIT TO ALL INVOLVED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION, AND I MIGHT ADD THAT THE HEROISM OF OFFICER MADISON AND HIS SON ARE A CREDIT TO THIS COURT AND FOR ALL THAT WORK FOR IT, AND FOR THAT REASON I AM GOING TO ASK OFFICER MADISON TO STEP FORWARD TO RECEIVE THE CHIEF JUSTICE'S COMMENDATION. THIS COMMENDATION READS CHIEF JUSTICE COMMENDATION FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE, SAM MADISON, OF THE COURT STAFF, IS RECOGNIZED FOR SAVING THE LIFE OF MIAMI-DADE POLICE OFFICER RUBEN JONES, WHO WAS CRITICALLY INJURED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT NEAR MIAMI PRO PLAYER'S STADIUM ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1998. OFFICER MADISON RESPONDED TO THE EMERGENCY BY IMMEDIATELY COMMENCING RESUSCITATION OF OFFICER JONES, WHILE HIS SON, MIAMI DOLPHIN CORNER BACK SAM MADISON, JR., WENT TO SUMMON EMERGENCY MEDICAL AID. LIFE-SAVING ASSISTANCE WAS RECOGNIZED BY MIAMI-DADE POLICE OFFICER CARLOS ALVAREZ, WHO NOTED THAT, IF NOT FOR THE EFFORTS OF SAM MADISON, WE MIGHT HAVE LOST THE OFFICER BEFORE HELP ARRIVED. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT WE COMMEND OFFICER MADISON FOR HIS VALIANT AND SELFLESS SERVICE. HE IS A CREDIT TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION. THE HEROISM OF OFFICER MADISON IS EQUALLY A CREDIT TO THIS COURT, AND IT IS MY PRIVILEGE, AS CHIEF JUSTICE, TO GIVE THIS TO YOU, WITH THE THANKS OF THE ENTIRE COURT. [APPLAUSE]