Salvador Mendoza Jr.

Mendoza was born in 1971 in Pacoima, California,[2] to parents who immigrated to the United States from Mexico.[3] He grew up in the Mid-Columbia region of Washington state and, in 1990, graduated from Prosser High School.[4] He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1994 from the University of Washington,[2] where he studied philosophy.[4] He received a Juris Doctor in 1997 from the UCLA School of Law.[2]

In the summer of 1995 he was a legal intern for the United Farm Workers of America. From 1996 to 1998, he served as a legal intern and later an Assistant Attorney General in the Washington State Attorney General's Office. From 1998 to 1999, he served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the Franklin County, Washington Prosecutor's Office. From 1999 to 2013, he practiced law, both as a solo practitioner and also with various law partnerships, his practice focusing on criminal defense. During that same period, he served as a judge pro tempore in various district, municipal and juvenile courts in Benton County and Franklin County.[2][5] Mendoza helped establish a juvenile drug court program in the local state courts. He also served as a trustee of Columbia Basin College.[4]

Mendoza ran for a vacant seat on the Superior Court for Benton and Franklin counties in 2008, but lost the election. In May 2013, however, Mendoza was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to fill another vacancy on the court.[4] He served on the Superior Court bench in 2013–2014, until his confirmation to the federal bench.[5][2]

On January 16, 2014, President Obama nominated Mendoza to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, to the seat vacated by Judge Lonny R. Suko, who took senior status on November 1, 2013.[6] Mendoza's name was forwarded to Obama by Senator Patty Murray upon the recommendation of a bipartisan committee of eight that reviewed candidates for the Eastern District of Washington.[4]

Mendoza received a hearing before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on March 12, 2014.[7] On April 3, 2014, his nomination was reported out of committee by a vote of 17–1.[8] On June 12, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for a motion to invoke cloture on the nomination. On June 16, 2014, the Senate voted 55–37 on the motion to invoke cloture.[9] On June 17, 2014, the Senate voted 92–4 in favor of final confirmation.[10] Mendoza received his judicial commission two days later.[2] A formal installation ceremonial took place in August 2014.[3]

Mendoza is the first Latino judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.[3]

Mendoza lives in Kennewick, Washington.[4] He is married to Mia Mendoza, an attorney; they have three children.[3]

• Salvador Mendoza Jr. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Sal Mendoza, Jr. at Ballotpedia
• Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.