To honor America and the freedoms we all enjoy, and to celebrate the significance of Independence Day, members of the Shelby County criminal defense bar will gather at the entrance to the historic courthouse at 12:00 p.m., Friday, June 30, 2017, for a formal reading of the United States Declaration of Independence. The public is encouraged to attend. The annual ceremony is a part of a statewide effort by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. This year the declaration will be read in each of the 254 Texas counties.