He garnered national attention in 2001 after he ordered 21 .................
Banales named presiding judge
By Jaime Powell Caller-Times
January 6, 2007
For more than a year, 105th District Judge J. Manuel Banales has been in the running to serve as presiding judge of the Fifth Judicial Administrative District.
Banales' appointment by Gov. Rick Perry on Friday marks the first time the position has been held by a judge outside of the Rio Grande Valley in more than 20 years. It's also the first time in more than two decades that a Hispanic judge has been tapped for the job.
The seat has been vacant since December 2005, when long-time Cameron County administrative judge, Darrell Hester, died. There were several judges from the Valley vying against Banales for the position, which has jurisdiction over Brooks, Cameron, Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Starr and Willacy counties.
About Bañales
J. Manuel Bañales is currently judge of the 105th Judicial District Court that serves Nueces, Kleberg and Kenedy counties.
He is a member of the judicial and Hispanic issues sections of the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Center for the Judiciary, Inc., where he previously served on the board of directors. Bañales is also a member of Tuloso Midway High School and Middle School Parent Teacher organizations and served as a past president of the South Texas Substance Abuse Recovery Services, Inc.
Bañales earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and his law degree from Bates College of Law at the University of Houston.
"I was optimistic after almost a year of waiting," Banales said. "I was hopeful and I never lost confidence about getting the appointment. I had support from friends in good places."
As administrative judge, Banales, 56, will retain the 105th District Judge's bench and will take on a broad range of new duties. He will be responsible for the assignment of judges when a regular judge is unavailable because of sickness, vacation or recusal. If a recusal is granted, he is also responsible for assigning judges to hear cases. He will conduct meetings with fellow judges at the regional level and serve on a state committee made up of eight fellow administrative judges, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice, the presiding Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals and two lawyers, which is responsible for court administration statewide.
"I expect to perform my judicial duties as usual; however whenever the need arises there's a pool of judges available to fill in for me," Banales said.
He will serve a four-year term and be eligible for reappointment.
First elected in 1986, Banales is one of the state's longest serving and most experienced district judges, fellow judges said. He garnered national attention in 2001 after he ordered 21 registered sex offenders to places signs in their yards and bumper stickers on their cars identifying them as a danger.
Banales is also one of the hardest working and most qualified judges, according to former District Judge and former nominee to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Jorge Rangel.
"Less than 10 percent of judges have served as long as he has," Rangel said. "He is one of the few judges in the state who is board certified (criminal law). He is also one of the hardest working trial judges based on the number of jury trials he presides over. We are fortunate to have someone with his experience, judgment and wisdom willing to take on this very important position."
District Judge Sandra Watts said the appointment is not only an honor for Banales, but also for Nueces County.
"It goes to the fact that a good judge is not necessarily determined by whether they have a D or an R in front of their name," Watts said. "You have Judge Banales, a Democrat being nominated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Wallace Jefferson, a Republican. And the governor, who is a Republican, is naming a Democrat."
Justice is not partisan, said Robert Black, a spokesman for Gov. Perry.
"The governor felt that Judge Banales was superbly qualified and the best person for that court to serve Texans in those counties," Black said. "He is an exemplary judge and will do a great job."
Contact Jaime Powell at 886-3716 or powellj@ caller.com
By Jaime Powell Caller-Times
January 6, 2007
For more than a year, 105th District Judge J. Manuel Banales has been in the running to serve as presiding judge of the Fifth Judicial Administrative District.
Banales' appointment by Gov. Rick Perry on Friday marks the first time the position has been held by a judge outside of the Rio Grande Valley in more than 20 years. It's also the first time in more than two decades that a Hispanic judge has been tapped for the job.
The seat has been vacant since December 2005, when long-time Cameron County administrative judge, Darrell Hester, died. There were several judges from the Valley vying against Banales for the position, which has jurisdiction over Brooks, Cameron, Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Starr and Willacy counties.
About Bañales
J. Manuel Bañales is currently judge of the 105th Judicial District Court that serves Nueces, Kleberg and Kenedy counties.
He is a member of the judicial and Hispanic issues sections of the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Center for the Judiciary, Inc., where he previously served on the board of directors. Bañales is also a member of Tuloso Midway High School and Middle School Parent Teacher organizations and served as a past president of the South Texas Substance Abuse Recovery Services, Inc.
Bañales earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and his law degree from Bates College of Law at the University of Houston.
"I was optimistic after almost a year of waiting," Banales said. "I was hopeful and I never lost confidence about getting the appointment. I had support from friends in good places."
As administrative judge, Banales, 56, will retain the 105th District Judge's bench and will take on a broad range of new duties. He will be responsible for the assignment of judges when a regular judge is unavailable because of sickness, vacation or recusal. If a recusal is granted, he is also responsible for assigning judges to hear cases. He will conduct meetings with fellow judges at the regional level and serve on a state committee made up of eight fellow administrative judges, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice, the presiding Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals and two lawyers, which is responsible for court administration statewide.
"I expect to perform my judicial duties as usual; however whenever the need arises there's a pool of judges available to fill in for me," Banales said.
He will serve a four-year term and be eligible for reappointment.
First elected in 1986, Banales is one of the state's longest serving and most experienced district judges, fellow judges said. He garnered national attention in 2001 after he ordered 21 registered sex offenders to places signs in their yards and bumper stickers on their cars identifying them as a danger.
Banales is also one of the hardest working and most qualified judges, according to former District Judge and former nominee to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Jorge Rangel.
"Less than 10 percent of judges have served as long as he has," Rangel said. "He is one of the few judges in the state who is board certified (criminal law). He is also one of the hardest working trial judges based on the number of jury trials he presides over. We are fortunate to have someone with his experience, judgment and wisdom willing to take on this very important position."
District Judge Sandra Watts said the appointment is not only an honor for Banales, but also for Nueces County.
"It goes to the fact that a good judge is not necessarily determined by whether they have a D or an R in front of their name," Watts said. "You have Judge Banales, a Democrat being nominated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Wallace Jefferson, a Republican. And the governor, who is a Republican, is naming a Democrat."
Justice is not partisan, said Robert Black, a spokesman for Gov. Perry.
"The governor felt that Judge Banales was superbly qualified and the best person for that court to serve Texans in those counties," Black said. "He is an exemplary judge and will do a great job."
Contact Jaime Powell at 886-3716 or powellj@ caller.com
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