James deAnda
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James deAnda (28 August 1925 – 7 September 2006) was an American attorney and United States federal judge, noted for his activities in defense of Hispanic civil rights, particularly as a plaintiff's attorney in Hernandez v. Texas.
DeAnda was born in Houston, Texas to Mexican immigrants. His attendance at Texas A&M was interrupted by World War II service in the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific. Graduating from Texas A&M in 1948, he then received a law degree from the University of Texas in 1950. In the early 1950s, he was on the plaintiff's team in Hernandez v. Texas, writing most of the briefs. In the late 1960s, he was among those who organized the Texas Rural Legal Assistance Organization and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. President Jimmy Carter appointed deAnda to the federal bench in 1979.
DeAnda retired in 1992. He died of prostate cancer at his vacation home in Traverse City, Michigan, aged 81.
[edit] References
- Austin American-Statesman, "Retired judge fought to defend Hispanics civil rights in Texas", 10 September 2006
- Houston Chronicle, "James deAnda" (editorial), 8 September 2006
- Ruiz, Rosanna, Houston Chronicle, "Houston judge had a major role in a landmark ruling on Hispanic rights", 8 September 2006
