Sam Sparks

From Judgepedia

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]

Legal 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]}

Federal Judicial Career

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]

Federal judicial career

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^[4].

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^[5].

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^[6].

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^[6].

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^[6].

External Links

• Judge Sam Spark's Biography at the Federal Judicial Center
• Judge Spark's Webpage at the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
• The Robing Room- Rate Judge Sparks

References

	v • d • e Federal judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
Active judges	Chief Judge: Smith • Biery • Cardone • Garcia • Junell • Ludlum • Martinez • Montalvo • Rodriguez • Sparks • Yeakel • Vacancy • Vacancy
Senior judges	Briones • Furgeson • Hudspeth • Nowlin
Magistrate judges	Austin • Garcia • Garney • Goains • Leachman • Manske • Mathy • McDonald • Mesa • Nowak • Pitman • Primomo • Platt • White
Former judges	Boynton • Bunton • DuVal • Garcia • Garza • Guinn • Keeling • Maxey • McMillan • Prado • Rice • Roberts • Sessions • Shannon • Smith • Spears • Suttle • Thomason • Thornberry • Turner • West • Wood

	v • d • e Federal judges nominated by George H.W. Bush
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