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Robert Junell
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2015 - Present
10
Robert Junell is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. He joined the court in 2003 after being nominated by President George W. Bush.
Early life and education
A native of El Paso, Texas, Junell graduated from New Mexico Military Institute with an associate degree in 1967, from Texas Tech University with a bachelor's degree in 1969, from the University of Arkansas with a master's degree in 1974, and from Texas Tech University School of Law with a J.D. in 1976.[1]
Military service
Junell served in the U.S. Army 1969 to 1980.[1]
Professional career
- 2003 - Present: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- 2015 - Present: Senior judge
- 2003-2015: Judge
- 1977-2003: Private practice, El Paso, Texas[1]
Judicial career
Western District of Texas
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Robert A. Junell |
| Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 207 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: July 18, 2002
|
| ABA Rating: Substantial Majority Qualified, Minority Well Qualified, Minority Not Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: January 29, 2003
|
| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: February 6, 2003
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| Confirmed: February 10, 2003
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| Vote: 91-0
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 Returned: November 20, 2002
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Junell was first nominated by President George W. Bush on July 18, 2002, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas vacated by Judge Hipolito Garcia. The American Bar Association rated Junell Substantial Majority Qualified, Minority Well Qualified, Minority Not Qualified for the nomination. Under provisions of Rule XXXI, paragraph six of the standing rules of the Senate, Junell's nomination was returned to the president on November 20, 2002. President Bush resubmitted Junell's nomination on January 7, 2003. Hearings on Junell's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 29, 2003, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on February 6, 2003. Junell was confirmed on a recorded 91-0 vote of the U.S. Senate on February 10, 2003, and he received his commission on February 12, 2003. Junell elected to take senior status beginning on February 13, 2015.[1][2][3][4]
Noteworthy cases
Open Meetings Act case (2011)
- See also: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (Asgeirsson v. Abbott, No. 11-50441)
- See also: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (Asgeirsson v. Abbott, No. 11-50441)
The case, heard by United States District Court for the Western District of Texas Judge Robert Junell on March 25, 2011, was brought by council members from twelve Texas cities – with council members from the city of Alpine acting as lead plaintiff. This was the second time Judge Junell has upheld the constitutionality of the Open Meetings Act (Act) against a challenge from Alpine council members.
Challengers to the Act claimed that the Act inhibited members' First Amendment rights to free speech, in addition to being vague and confusing.[5] Arlington Council member Mel LeBlanc explained: "As an elected public official, I am constantly in meetings where the issue of [the act] comes up, and nearly every time, each individual in the meeting has his own interpretation of this law. Thus we defer to city legal counsel for advice, only to be told that the answer is not clear.”[5]
Ultimately Junell ruled that the Open Meetings Act should stand. Junell wrote in his decision that, "Open meetings enable public discussion and discourage government secrecy and fraud."[6] He went on to state "Governmental bodies have no First Amendment right to conduct public business behind closed doors. TOMA ensures that governmental bodies perform their duty, which is informing Texas citizens about public affairs."[7]
Junell ruled in favor of the Act in a similar case brought by the same parties in 2006. The decision was appealed to the Fifth Circuit, which dismissed the case in 2009 stating the case had lost its relevance because the challengers were no longer public officials.[8][9] The Supreme Court of the United States denied review in the case.[10]
See also
- United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge Robert A. Junell," accessed May 27, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1983 — Robert A. Junell — The Judiciary," accessed May 27, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 26 — Robert A. Junell — The Judiciary," accessed May 27, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 107th Congress," accessed May 27, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Federal Judge upholds Texas Open Meetings Act," March 25, 2011
- ↑ Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Continuing fight to undo Texas Open Meetings Act is nonsensical", March 28, 2011
- ↑ Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Challenge to Texas Open Meetings Act Could go to U.S. Supreme Court," March 31, 2011
- ↑ Alpine Avalanche, "Ruling upholds Texas Open Meetings Act", March 31, 2011
- ↑ Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Challenge to Texas Open Meetings Act could go to U.S. Supreme Court," March 31, 2011
- ↑ Texas Municipal League, "Open Meetings Act Lawsuit Comes to an End," accessed September 4, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Hipolito Garcia |
Western District of Texas 2003–2015 Seat #6 |
Succeeded by: David Counts
|
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 |
Armijo • Bates • Beistline • Blackburn • Bowdre • Bunning • Bury • Caldwell • Camp • Cassell • Cebull • Clement • Clifton • Crane • Eagan • Engelhardt • Friot • Gibbons • Granade • Gregory • Gritzner • Haddon • Hartz • Heaton • Hicks • Howard • Johnson • Jorgenson • Krieger • Land • Leon • Mahan • Martinez • Martone • McConnell • Melloy • Mills • O'Brien • Parker • Payne • Prost • Reeves • Riley • Robinson • Rogers • Royal • Shedd • B. Smith • L. Smith • Walton • Wooten • Zainey | ||
| 2002 |
Africk • Anderson • Autrey • Baylson • Cercone • Chesler • Clark • Collyer • Conner • Conti • Corrigan • Davis • Davis • Dorr • England • Ericksen • Fuller • Gardner • Godbey • Griesbach • Hanen • Hovland • Hudson • Jones • Jordan • Kinkeade • Klausner • Kugler • Leighton • Linares • Moses • Marra • Martinez • Martini • Mays • McVerry • Phillips • Raggi • Reade • Rose • Rufe • Savage • Schwab • Smith • St. Eve • Walter • White • Wolfson | ||
| 2003 |
Adams • Altonaga • Bea • Benitez • Bennett • Boyle • Brack • Breen • Browning • Burns • Bybee • Callahan • Campbell • Cardone • Carney • Castel • Chertoff • Cohn • Colloton • Conrad • Coogler • Cook • Cooke • Crone • Der-Yeghiayan • Drell • Duffey • Duncan • Erickson • Feuerstein • Figa • Filip • Fischer • Fisher • Flanagan • Floyd • Frost • Gibson • Greer • Gruender • Guirola • Hall • Hardiman • Hayes • Herrera • Hicks • Holmes • Holwell • Hopkins • Houston • Irizarry • Jones • Junell • Karas • Kravitz • Martinez • McKnight • Minaldi • Montalvo • Mosman • Otero • Pickering • Prado • Pratter • Proctor • Quarles • Robart • Roberts • Robinson • Rodgers • Rodriguez • Sabraw • Sanchez • Saylor • Selna • Sharpe • Simon • Springmann • Stanceu • Steele • Stengel • Suko • Sutton • Sykes • Titus • Townes • Tymkovich • Van Antwerpen • Varlan • Wake • Wesley • White • Woodcock • Yeakel | ||
| 2004 |
Alvarez • Benton • Boyko • Covington • Diamond • Harwell • Kelley • Schiavelli • Schneider • Starrett • Watson | ||
| 2005 |
Alito • Barrett • Batten • Bianco • Brown • Burgess • Conrad • Cox • Crotty • Delgado-Colon • Dever • DuBose • Griffin • Griffith • Johnston • Kendall • Larson • Ludington • Mattice • McKeague • Neilson • Owen • Pryor • Roberts • Sandoval • Schiltz • Seabright • Smoak • Van Tatenhove • Vitaliano • Watkins • Zouhary | ||
| 2006 |
Besosa • Bumb • Chagares • Cogan • Gelpi • Golden • Gordon • Gorsuch • Guilford • Hillman • Holmes • Ikuta • D. Jordan • K. Jordan • Kavanaugh • Miller • Moore • Shepherd • Sheridan • Smith • Whitney • Wigenton | ||
| 2007 |
Anderson • Aycock • Bailey • Bryant • Davis • DeGiusti • Dow • Elrod • Fairbank • Fischer • Frizzell • Gutierrez • Hall • Hardiman • Haynes • Howard • Jarvey • Jones • Jonker • Kapala • Kays • Laplante • Limbaugh • Lioi • Livingston • Maloney • Mauskopf • Mendez • Miller • Neff • O'Connor • O'Grady • O'Neill • Osteen • Ozerden • Reidinger • Sammartino • Schroeder • Settle • Smith • Snow • Southwick • Suddaby • Sullivan • Thapar • Tinder • Van Bokkelen • Wood • Wright • Wu | ||
| 2008 |
Agee • Anello • Arguello • Brimmer • Gardephe • Goldberg • Jones • Kethledge • Lawrence • Matsumoto • Melgren • Murphy • Scriven • Seibel • Slomsky • Trenga • Waddoups • White | ||
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
