Judge Banales; He presided over largest class-action tort case in county

Judge Banales to seek 6th District Court term
He presided over largest class-action tort case in county
By Sara Lee Fernandez Caller-TimesJanuary 10, 2006
Judge J. Manuel Banales has announced that he will seek a sixth term for the 105th District Court.
"I still enjoy the work that I do as a judge," Banales said. "I believe that I am doing good work."


on error resume next
plugin = ( IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.6")))
if ( plugin



Banales, an El Paso native, earned his law degree from the University of Houston's Law School in 1974.
He practiced law for 11 years before being elected to the bench in 1986 to succeed Vernon Harville, who retired.
Banales has presided over hundreds of cases in his five terms as a district judge in Nueces, Kleberg and Kenedy counties.
In 1995 he presided over the largest class-action toxic tort case in Nueces County, which involved about 9,000 Robstown residents and a chemical production company. In 2001, Banales gained national attention when he ordered 14 sex offenders on probation to place warning signs in their yards and on their cars, warning their neighbors of their presence.
He is a member of the Judicial Section of the State Bar, the Texas Center for the Judiciary, Inc. and the Judge Reynaldo G. Garza Chapter of the American Inns of Court.
Banales has established the South Texas Substance Abuse Recovery System and served as the organization's first president.
Banales is married to County Commissioner Peggy Banales and has five children.
Contact Sara Lee Fernandez
at 886-3767
or HYPERLINK mailto:fernandezs@caller.com fernandezs@caller.com