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Jorge Solis
Jorge Solis was an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He joined the court in 1991 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush.[1] Judge Solis retired from the federal bench on May 1, 2016.[2]
Early life and education
Born in San Ygnacio, Texas, Solis earned his bachelor's degree from McMurry College in 1973, and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1976.[1]
Professional career
Solis prosecuted criminal cases as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Texas for the U.S. Attorney's Office from 1976 to 1981. From 1981 to 1982, Solis was a private practice attorney in the State of Texas. In 1983, Solis returned to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Criminal prosecution division as a District Attorney for the Northern District of Texas from 1983 to 1988. Solis was a Special Prosecutor on the West Central Texas Narcotics Task Force from 1988 to 1989. Solis was appointed District Court Judge in the 350th District Court of Texas, where he served from 1989 to 1991.[1][3]
Judicial career
Northern District of Texas
On the recommendation of Texas U.S. Senator Phil Gramm, Solis was nominated to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas by President George H.W. Bush on June 19, 1991, to a seat vacated by Robert Porter. Solis was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 12, 1991, on a Senate vote and received his commission on September 16, 1991.[4] Judge Solis retired from the bench on May 1, 2016.[2]
Noteworthy cases
Irving voting rights case (2009-2012)
Judge Solis presided over a case on how elections are conducted in the Dallas-Area suburb of Irving. Judge Solis ruled that the City of Irving cannot use a system that "diminishes the voting power of Hispanic residents."[5]
Manuel Benavidez, a 2007 candidate for the School Board of Irving, filed the lawsuit. Benavidez claimed in his affidavit that Irving's at-large election system kept Hispanics from being elected.[5] Benavidez, who is of Hispanic descent, claimed that Hispanic candidates were out-voted by a majority of white non-Hispanic voters. Benavidez's claims supported his argument that other minority candidates were impacted under the system the City of Irving mandated.[6]
See also
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
External links
- Judge Solis Home Page at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- The Robing Room- Rate Judge Solis
- Judge Solis's Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 '"Federal Judicial Center, "Biographical directory of federal judges," accessed May 1, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 United States Courts, "Current judicial vacancies," accessed May 1, 2016
- ↑ "USDC-Northern Texas," Profile of Judge Jorge Solis, January 21, 2009
- ↑ The Library of Congress, Jorge Solis USDC, NDTX confirmation: PN409-102
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "New York Times" Texas: City’s Election System Is Flawed, Judge Says, July 15, 2009
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Voting rights case in Farmers Branch open this morning in federal courthouse," June 25, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Robert Porter |
Northern District of Texas 1991–Current Seat #4 |
Succeeded by: NA
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 |
Barksdale • Bonner • Buckwalter • Cyr • Fernandez • Garbis • Harmon • Lee • Lindberg • Lodge • Nelson • Nottingham • Plager • Rosen • Rymer • Smith • Spatt • Thomas • VanBebber • J. Walker • V. Walker • Wiener • Wright | ||
| 1990 |
Alito • Amon • Birch • Boudin • Cleland • Clevenger • Dubina • Hamilton • Henderson • Hood • Hornby • Jones • Kent • Levi • Loken • Lourie • Martin • McBryde • McClure • McKenna • McLaughlin • McNamee • Moreno • Mullen • Nelson • Nickerson • Niemeyer • Norton • Parker • Pickering • Rader • Rainey • Randolph • Shanstrom • Shedd • Shubb • Singleton • Skretny • Souter • Sparr • Stahl • Stamp • Suhrheinrich • Taylor • Vollmer • Ware • Wilson | ||
| 1991 |
Albritton • Andersen • Armstrong • Arnold • Bartle • Bassler • Batchelder • Beckwith • Belot • Benson • Blackburn • Bramlette • Brody • Brody • Burrell • Carnes • Caulfield • Cauthron • Clement • Collier • Conway • Cooper • Dalzell • DeMent • DeMoss • Doherty • Echols • Edmunds • Faber • Freeh • Gaitan • Garza • Graham • Haik • Hamilton • Hansen • Hendren • Herlong • Highsmith • Hogan • Huff • Hurley • Irenas • Johnson • Joyner • Kelly • Kleinfeld • Legg • Leonard • Lewis • Longstaff • Lungstrum • Luttig • Matia • McCalla • McDade • McKeague • McKelvie • Means • Merryday • Moore • Morgan • Nielsen • Nimmons • Osteen Sr. • Padova • Payne • Reinhard • Robinson • Robreno • Roll • Roth • Schlesinger • Scullin • Siler • Solis • Sotomayor • Sparks • Stohr • Thomas • Traxler • Trimble • Ungaro • Van Sickle • Wanger • Werlein • Whyte • Yohn | ||
| 1992 |
Baird • Barbadoro • Black • Boudin • Carnes • Covello • DiClerico • Gilbert • Gonzalez • Gorton • Hansen • Heyburn • Jackson • Jacobs • Keeley • Kendall • Kopf • Kyle • Lewis • McAuliffe • McLaughlin • Melloy • Preska • Quist • Randa • Rosenthal • Rovner • Schall • Sedwick • Simandle • Stahl • Vratil • Williams | ||
 |
State of Texas Austin (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
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| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
