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Latina And Latino Judges: Changing The Complexion Of The Bench, Mary Dolores Guerra

Mary Dolores Guerra

Although having a diverse bench is instrumental to a fair judicial system, the first Mexican American was not appointed to the federal bench until 1961. In that year, President John F. Kennedy appointed Reynaldo G. Garza, to the U.S. federal bench as a district court judge. Judge Garza hoped that by becoming an “effective jurist” he would quell any scrutiny over his appointment and, moreover, “encourage [the] appointment of other qualified Mexican Americans to the federal bench.” Judge Garza was the only Latino appointed to the federal bench until 1979 when President Jimmy Carter appointed several Latinos to the bench, …