John Mendez
John Mendez is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. He joined the court in 2008 after being nominated by President George W. Bush (R). He assumed senior status on April 17, 2022.[1]
Biography
Early life and education
Born in Oakland, California, Mendez graduated from Stanford University with his bachelor's degree in 1977 and later graduated from Harvard Law School with his J.D. in 1980.[1]
Professional career
Mendez was a private practice attorney licensed in the State of California from 1980 to 1984, 1986 to 1992, and again from 1993 to 2001. Mendez worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California from 1984 to 1986. In 1992, on the recommendation of U.S. Senator Pete Wilson, Mendez was nominated by President George H.W. Bush (R) as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California from 1992 to 1993. Mendez became a superior court judge in the Sacramento County California Superior Court from 2001 to 2008.[2]
Judicial career
Eastern District of California
Mendez was nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California by President George W. Bush (R) on September 6, 2007, to a seat vacated by David Levi. Mendez was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 10, 2008, on a majority vote and received commission on April 17, 2008.[3] He assumed senior status on April 17, 2022.[4]
Noteworthy cases
Judge dismisses lawsuit regarding California sanctuary state law(2018)
- See also: United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (USA v. California, Case 2:18-cv-490-JAM-KJN)
- See also: United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (USA v. California, Case 2:18-cv-490-JAM-KJN)
On July 9, 2018, Judge John Mendez of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California approved California's motion to dismiss a lawsuit the Trump administration filed in March 2018. The U.S. Department of Justice had requested the court to block SB 54, California's sanctuary state law. In his opinion, Mendez wrote, "The Court does not find any indication in the cited federal statutes that Congress intended for States to have no oversight over detention facilities operating within their borders."[5]
On July 5, 2018, Mendez ruled against the U.S. Department of Justice's request to block SB 54, saying the state could decide whether it would assist in enforcing the federal government's immigration policies. He also said the immigration issue should be settled through legislation, not through the court system.[6][7]
California became a sanctuary state on January 1, 2018, when SB 54, which prohibits local law enforcement officials from using resources for immigration enforcement purposes, went into effect.[8]
See also
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Federal Judicial Center, "Mendez, John A.," accessed April 18, 2022
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedFJC Bio - ↑ [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ntquery/D?nomis:1:./temp/ nomis2KGOkU:: The Library of Congress, John Mendez USDC, EDCA confirmation:PN876-110]
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedjc - ↑ UPI.com, "Judge tosses most of DOJ challenge to California 'sanctuary' laws," July 9, 2018
- ↑ Reuters, "Judge largely rules for California in 'sanctuary state' fight," July 5, 2018
- ↑ Route Fifty, "California’s ‘Sanctuary State’ Laws Withstand Federal Suit," July 5, 2018
- ↑ Mountain Democrat, "Gov. Brown signs bill turning California into sanctuary state," October 9, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by David Levi |
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California 2008-2022 |
Succeeded by Daniel Calabretta |
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| 2007 |
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| 2008 |
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