Ricardo Hinojosa

Who is Ricardo Hinojosa?

Ricardo H. Hinojosa is a United States federal judge, and served as the Chairman of the United States Sentencing Commission.

Born in Rio Grande City, Texas, Hinojosa received a B.A. from the University of Texas, Austin in 1972, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1975. He was a law clerk to the Texas Supreme Court from 1975 to 1976. He was then in private practice in McAllen, Texas until 1983.

On April 12, 1983, Hinojosa was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas vacated by Woodrow B. Seals. Hinojosa was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 4, 1983, and received his commission on May 5, 1983. He was appointed as a commissioner on the United States Sentencing Commission by then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2003. As of November 13, 2009, the Hinojosa is became Chief Judge of the Southern District of Texas.