- James deAnda
James deAnda (
28 August ,1925 –7 September ,2006 ) was an American attorney andUnited States federal judge , noted for his activities in defense of Hispanic civil rights, particularly as a plaintiff's attorney inHernandez v. Texas .DeAnda was born in
Houston, Texas to Mexican immigrants. His attendance at Texas A&M was interrupted byWorld War II service in theUnited States Marine Corps in the Pacific. Graduating from Texas A&M in 1948, he then received a law degree from theUniversity 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 theMexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund . PresidentJimmy Carter appointed deAnda to the federal bench in 1979.DeAnda retired in 1992. He died of
prostate cancer at his vacation home inTraverse City, Michigan , aged 81.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
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