
Filemon sanchez full#
Only a few questions were asked by the committee before it recommended his confirmation by the full Senate. Informed that he had been nominated by President Carter, Vela and his wife flew to Washington to appear before a congressional judiciary committee. Vela as a possible candidate to replace the recently promoted Judge Reynaldo G. In August 1979 Senator Lloyd Bentsen put forth the name of Filemon B. Reelected in 1978, his second term started in January 1979. Judge Vela presided over both criminal and civil cases in the court of general jurisdiction.

His first 4 year term began in January 1975. Before taking office he attended training at the First Texas College of the Judiciary in Austin, Texas. In November 1974 Vela was elected to serve as judge of the 107th Judicial District Court of Cameron and Willacy Counties, Texas. In addition, in 1971 he won his first elected office, becoming City Commissioner of Brownsville for a two year term that lasted from November 1971 to December 1973. Vela was General Counsel for the Cameron County Child Welfare Unit of the Texas Department of Public Welfare from 1971 to 1973. He was defeated in his first bid for elected office. In May 1964 he ran in the Democratic primary against Cameron county Texas House of Representative incumbent Menton J. As an organization PASO sought to place Hispanics in political office. It was among the first of its type of civil case to hit South Texas.Īround the same time Vela entered private practice with his brother he had become an active member of the Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations (PASO). The case was instrumental in establishing the pursuit of due process by governmental bodies. Vela acted as local counsel and assisted the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) attorney Mario G. Of note from this period was the 1970 civil rights case Lucinda Escalante v. He practiced law until his departure for the bench of the 107th District Court of Texas in January 1975. He represented clients in both civil and criminal matters. Vela moved to Brownsville in November 1963 and opened his own office. Two years later he was admitted to practicing law before the Federal Court.
Filemon sanchez license#
He received his license to practice before the courts of Texas in April, 1962. He worked with his brother from February 1962 to November 1963. Vela's initial entry into the legal profession was to work with his brother Moises Vicente Vela in Harlingen in the firm known as Vela and Vela. They would have three children: Filemon Bartolome, Jr., Rafael Eduardo, and Sylvia Adriana.

Despite knowing each other since they were youngsters, they did not start dating until Filemon was in law school. On January 26, 1962, shortly after receiving his degree, he married San Benito teacher Blanca Sanchez. He attended from 1959 to 1962 and received his Bachelor of Laws degree, subsequently converted to a Doctor of Jurisprudence. Mary?s University School of Law in San Antonio. Upon leaving active duty in 1959, Vela entered St. He served on active duty from 1957 to 1959. He then postponed his studies to join the army. In preparation for entering law school Vela attended Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, Texas from 1954 to 1956, and The University of Texas from 1956 to 1957. In his youth Filemon attended both Catholic and public schools, and graduated from Harlingen High School in 1954.

His father supported the family by running a small grocery store and as a notary public.

At the age of eleven his mother passed away. He was the eighth of nine children born to Roberto and Maria Luisa Vela. Long time jurist, civic leader, and education advocate dedicated to serving the people of South Texas, Filemon Bartolome Vela was born in Harlingen, Texas on May 1, 1935.
