Emilio M. Garza

Emilio M. Garza, 57, is a judge for U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. The former Marine captain earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Notre Dame and graduated from the University of Texas School of Law. He practiced law in his native San Antonio for 11 years and served as a state district judge for a year before President Reagan nominated him to the U.S. District Court in 1988. Three years later Bush elevated him to the 5th Circuit.

Justice Department officials interviewed Garza in 1991, when he was among a handful of candidates being considered by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Justice Thurgood Marshall. But Garza then had only three years of experience on the federal bench and his views on many issues were unknown. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas instead.

Garza, who will turn 58 in August, would make history as the first Hispanic ever nominated to the high court.

Key Decisions and Writings:

Garza has developed a reliably conservative judicial record.

Abortion - Garza has criticized Roe on several occasions and indicated that it should be overturned.

Quotes:

"[I]n the absence of governing constitutional text, I believe that ontological issues such as abortion are more properly decided in the political and legislative arenas. . . . [I]t is unclear to me that the [Supreme] Court itself still believes that abortion is a 'fundamental right' under the Fourteenth Amendment. . . ."

Profiles:

Washington Post profile

Slate profile

New York Times profile

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