Sam Sparks
| Sam Sparks | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| United States District Court for the Western District of Texas | |
| Title: | Judge |
| Position: | Seat #8 |
| Station: | Austin, TX |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | George H.W. Bush |
| Active: | 11/25/1991 - Present |
| Preceded by: | 104 Stat. 5089 |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1939 |
| Home State: | Austin, TX |
| Bachelors: | U. of Texas, B.A., 1961 |
| Law School: | U. of Texas Law, LL.B., 1963 |
Contents |
Sam Sparks is an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. He joined the court in 1991 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush.
Early life and education
Born in Austin, Texas, Sparks graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with her Bachelor's Degree in 1961 and later from the Texas Law with his Law degree in 1963.[1]
Professional career
Sparks was a law clerk for former federal judge, Homer Thornberry, for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas from 1964 to 1965. Sparks entered private practice in the State of Texas from 1965 to 1991.[1] [2]
Judicial career
Western District of Texas
On the recommendation of Texas U.S. Senator Phil Gramm, Sparks was nominated to the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas by President George H.W. Bush on October 1, 1991 to a new seat created by 104 Stat. 5089, which was approved by Congress. Sparks was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 21, 1991, and received commission on November 25, 1991.[3]
Judge Sparks is the 2010 recipient of the American College of Trial Lawyers' Sandra Day O'Connor Award for judicial independence.[4]
Notable cases
The notable case section on this page needs to be reformatted.
Illegal immigration
Judge Sparks on February 5, 2010, questioned prosecutor's efforts about pursuing cases involving illegal immigration in federal courts. Sparks wrote in his ruling that pursuing immigration cases: "presents a cost to the American taxpayer...that is neither meritorious nor reasonable." The judge's ruling comes a sign that federal courts in Texas have been overburdened with illegal immigration cases and has asked prosecutors to be more justified in pursuing future cases[5].
Texas food stamps
Judge Sparks dismissed a lawsuit filed against the State of Texas by the US Department of Agriculture over delays in food stamp applications. The USDA sued the State of Texas as the State was alleged to take longer than the mandated thirty day deadline to act on new food stamp cases. However, the judge found that the laws do not clearly state a mandate that applications must be processed in thirty days in which led to the case's dismissal[6].
UT Admissions case
On August 17, 2009, Judge Sparks ruled that the University of Texas system can use race as a factor in admitting students into universities that are part of the UT System[7].
Two white students who were denied admission into the University of Texas at Austin sued the University of Texas System claiming that the university used their racial status as a factor in denying them admission[7].
However, the judge ruled that despite race was used that the admissions standards used by the UT system was upheld by the Fourteenth Amendment in the Constitution; the case will be appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals[7].
Case Update: Iowa joins 13 other states in urging Supreme Court to uphold affirmative action
Awards and Associations
- 2010 Sandra Day O'Connor Jurist Award, American College of Trail Lawyers [8]
Judicial philosophy
See also
External links
- Judge Spark's Webpage at the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- The Robing Room- Rate Judge Sparks
- Judge Sparks's Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Judge Sparks's Biography from the Federal Judicial Center.
- ↑ "USDC-Western Texas" Biography of Sam Sparks, January 23, 2009
- ↑ "THOMAS" Sam Sparks USDC, WDTX confirmation:PN667-102
- ↑ My San Antonio News, "Federal judge from Austin wins national award," October 5, 2010
- ↑ Austin American-Statesman "Federal judge questions immigration prosecutions", February 5, 2010
- ↑ "Houston Chronicle" Judge tosses lawsuit seeking food stamp speed-up, October 16, 2009
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Marshall News Messenger" Federal judge upholds UT's consideration of race in admissions, August 18, 2009
- ↑ United States Courts, "Judge Sparks Receives Sandra Day O'Connor Jurist Award," October 6, 2010
| Federal judicial offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: NA-New Seat |
Western District of Texas 1991–Current Seat #8 |
Succeeded by: NA |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
