Filemón Bartolomé Vela (May 1, 1935 – April 13, 2004) was a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...
of the
.
Education and career
Born in
Harlingen,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, Vela was a private in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
from 1957 to 1959, and received a
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
from
St. Mary's University School of Law in 1962. He was in private practice in Harlingen from 1962 to 1963, and then in
Brownsville, Texas from 1963 to 1974. He was a city commissioner in Brownsville from 1971 to 1973. He was a judge of the 107th Judicial District in
Cameron and
Willacy Counties, Texas from 1975 to 1980.
Federal judicial service
On January 22, 1980, Vela was nominated by President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
to a seat on the
vacated by Judge
Reynaldo Guerra Garza. Vela was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
on June 18, 1980, and received his commission the same day. He assumed
senior status on May 1, 2000, serving in that capacity until his death on April 13, 2004, in Harlingen.
Vela presided over the capital murder trial of drug lord
Juan Raul Garza. Garza was executed by the federal government in 2001, eight days after
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was an American domestic terrorist who masterminded and perpetrated the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. The bombing itself killed 167 people (including 19 children), injured ...
.
Personal
Vela was married to
Blanca Vela, who served as the first female
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Brownsville, Texas, from 1999 to 2003.
Their three children include
Filemon Vela Jr., who was elected to the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
in 2012.
[Perez-Trevino, Emma (April 25, 2012; updated February 11, 2013).]
Candidates raise significant war chests
. ''The Brownsville Herald
''The Brownsville Herald'' is a newspaper based in Brownsville, Texas, United States, circulating in the Cameron County area.
History
Jesse O. Wheeler, a newspaperman from Victoria, purchased Brownsville's ''Cosmopolitan'' newspaper in 1892 an ...
''.
See also
*
List of Hispanic and Latino American jurists
This is a list of Hispanic/Latino Americans who are or were judges, magistrate judges, court commissioners, or administrative law judges. If known, it will be listed if a judge has served on multiple courts.
Other topics of interest
* List ...
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vela, Filemon Bartolome
1935 births
2004 deaths
Hispanic and Latino American judges
Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
People from Harlingen, Texas
United States Army soldiers
United States district court judges appointed by Jimmy Carter
Hispanic and Latino American lawyers