Carlos Cadena facts for kids

Carlos C. Cadena (1917–2001) was an American lawyer, civil rights activist, and judge from San Antonio, Texas. He is remembered for his important work fighting for fairness and equality in the legal system.

Early Life and Education

Carlos Cristian Cadena was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1917. His parents were immigrants from Mexico. He went to Catholic school when he was young. Later, he studied law at the University of Texas Law School. He graduated in 1940 with top honors and was even an editor for the Texas Law Review.

Serving His Country and Community

Carlos Cadena's long career as a lawyer was briefly paused when he served in the US Army Air Forces during World War II. He worked as a radio operator. After the war, he returned to San Antonio. He became an assistant city attorney and later the city attorney for San Antonio. He also taught constitutional law at St. Mary's University. Carlos Cadena married Gloria Villa Galvan, who was a war widow with eight children. Together, they raised their nine children.

A Landmark Civil Rights Case

One of Carlos Cadena's most important achievements was his work on the famous case called Hernández v. Texas in 1954. He worked with another lawyer, Gus Garcia. They argued before the highest court in the country, the US Supreme Court.

The case was about how juries were chosen in Jackson County, Texas. Even though Mexican-Americans made up more than 10% of the people in that county, no one of Mexican background had been allowed to serve on a jury there for over 25 years. This meant that Mexican-Americans were being unfairly left out.

Cadena and Garcia argued that this was wrong because it denied people a fair trial. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, agreed with them. The Court ruled that people could not be stopped from serving on a jury because of where their family came from. This was a huge victory for civil rights. Carlos Cadena and Gus Garcia were the first Mexican-American lawyers to argue and win a case in front of the US Supreme Court.

A Distinguished Judge

After this landmark case, Carlos Cadena returned to teaching law at St. Mary's University from 1961 to 1965. In 1965, the governor of Texas, John Connolly, appointed him as an associate justice of the 4th Court of Appeals. This was a very important position, and Cadena was the first Mexican-American to hold such a high judgeship.

He continued to serve on the court for many years. In 1977, he was named the Court's chief justice by Governor Dolph Briscoe. He held this top position until he retired in 1990, after serving for 25 years. Even after retirement, he continued to work part-time as a senior appellate justice until his death in 2001.

Legacy and Recognition

Carlos Cadena received many awards from Texas and across the country for his more than 50 years of legal work. His dedication to justice and fairness left a lasting impact. Today, student societies at both St. Mary's Law School and the University of Texas Law School are named in his honor. In 2009, a TV program called A Class Apart was shown on PBS. It focused on the Hernández v. Texas case and its important meaning for Mexican-Americans.