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History of Magistrate Judges

When Congress created the current three-tiered system of courts under Article III of the Constitution in 1896, United States Commissioners could be appointed by district judges to handle preliminary matters in criminal cases, like receiving bonds. In 1940, Congress expanded the duties of Commissioners to include trial of petty criminal offenses by consent. The Federal Magistrates Act of 1968 replaced the Commissioner with a position of Magistrate. In 1990, the title magistrate was changed to magistrate judge.

Magistrate judges are appointed by judges of the district court for a term of eight years. They may dispose of minor criminal offenses and may hold bench or jury trials in civil actions on consent of the parties. In addition, magistrate judges handle preliminary proceedings in felony matters, report and recommend to the district court on dispositive matters in civil cases, act as masters when appointed, and manage and rule on nondispositive matters in civil cases.

 

Brownsville Corpus Christi Galveston Houston Laredo McAllen
Fidencio Garza
1981 - 1998
James Martin
1971 - 1975
Charles Smith
1985 - 1991
Ronald Blask
1971 - 1979
Tom Goodwin
1973 - 1981
William Mallet
1971 - 1996
Robert Guerra
1989 - 1992
Philip Schraub
1975 - 1980
John Froeschner
1991 - 2017
Lingo Platter
1971 - 1991
Marcel Notzon
1982 - 2006
Jose Cisneros
1974 - 1974
John Black
1992 - 2008
Eduardo de Ases
1980 - 1996
Andrew Edison
2018 -
Norman Black
1976 - 1979
Adriana Arce-Flores
2000 - 2008
Cruz Tijerina
1974 - 1980
Felix Recio
1999 - 2013
B. Janice Ellington
1996 - 2020
  Calvin Botley
1979 - 2009
Diana Saldaña
2006 - 2010
Susan Williams
1982 - 1987
Ronald G. Morgan
2009 - 2023
Jane Cooper-Hill
1997 - 2005
  Frank Waltermire
1979 - 1984
James Scott Hacker
2008 -2018
Peter Ormsby
1992 - 2001
Ignacio Torteya, III
2014 -
Brian Owsley
2005 - 2013
  Ray J. McQuary
1982 -1983
Guillermo Garcia
2010 -2018
Dorina Ramos
1996 -2017
Karen L. Betancourt
2023 -
Jason B. Libby
2013 -
  Karen Brown
1984 - 1990
Diana Song Quiroga
2011 -
Tracey Caperton
2002 - 2004
  Julie K. Hampton
2020 -
  George A. Kelt
1984 - 1992
John Kazen
2018 - 2024
Peter Ormsby
2005 - 2021
  Mitch Neurock
2021 -
  Frances H. Stacy
1989 - 2022
Sam S. Sheldon
2018 - 2020
James Scott Hacker
2018 -
      Nancy K. Johnson
1990 - 2020
Christopher A. dos Santos
2020 -
Juan F. Alanis
2018 -
      Marcia Crone
1992 - 2003
  Nadia S. Medrano
2021 -
      Mary Milloy
1992 - 2018
   
      Stephen W. Smith
2004 - 2018
   
      George Hanks Jr.
2010 - 2015
   
      Dena Hanovice Palermo
2016 -
   
      Christina Bryan
2018 -
   
     

Peter Bray
2018 -

   
     

Sam S. Sheldon
2020 - 2023

   
     

Yvonne Y. Ho
2021 -