A Candidate with Tremendous Experience.
Judge Prado is a person of exceptional character who has the experience to serve on our highest court.
Though Judge Prado is a relatively young man at 58 years of age, he has served on the federal bench for 21 years. He is so experienced because he made extraoridinary strides very early in his legal career. After eight years practicing as an assistant state prosecutor and as a federal public defender, President Reagan appointed Edward Prado to be the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas in 1981. At only thirty-three years of age, Prado was one of the youngest U.S. Attorneys in the nation. In that position, Prado was responsible for prosecuting federal crimes ranging from drug trafficking to complex financial frauds in a juristiction stretching from Austin to San Antonio to El Paso.
In 1984, President Reagan appointed Prado to the District Court. In 2003, President Bush nominated him to the Fifth Circuit and the Senate unaminously confirmed the nomination.
Throughout his tenure as a federal judge, Edward Prado has distinguished himself with his careful, intelligent, fair-minded opinions. His approach has won praise from independent observers for judicial conduct. For example, during the confirmation hearings for his nomination to the Fifth Circuit, Judge Prado received a unanimous “Well Qualified” rating from the American Bar Association – the highest rating the group bestows on candidates for the federal bench. In fact, of the 34 federal appeals court candidates President Bush submitted to the 108th Congress, Judge Prado was one of only 11 who had the unanimous “Well Qualified” rating.
Judge Prado is not the only person in the country qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. But, it is obvious from his record that Judge Prado ranks very high among a small group of qualified potential nominees. Moreover, he would be a candidate with not only exceptional experience, but also a moderate, independent view of the law. Finally, Ed Prado would be our nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice – his nomination would mark an historic milestone in our nation’s unending struggle to widen the circle of opportunity.
