Kathleen Cardone
Kathleen Cardone (born December 25, 1953) is a United States district judge for the Western District of Texas. She has served since July 29, 2003, after being appointed by President George W. Bush to a seat created by statute.
She was born in Medina, New York, and earned a BA from Binghamton University in 1976 and a JD from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1979.
Her legal career in Texas includes: briefing attorney for Magistrate Judge Philip A. Schraub (1979–1980); private practice (1980–1990); Municipal Court judge in El Paso (1983–1990); associate judge on the Texas Family Law Court (1990–1995); judge on the 383rd Judicial District Court (1995–1996); attorney/mediator for Texas Arbitration Mediation Services (1997–1999); part-time instructor at El Paso Community College (1997–2003); judge on the 388th Judicial District Court (1999–2000); mediator (2001–2003); visiting judge in Texas (2001–2003).
She was nominated to the federal bench on May 1, 2003, confirmed by the Senate on July 28, 2003, and received her commission the next day.
In 2015, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Cardone to chair a committee to review the implementation of the 1964 Criminal Justice Act; the 2017 report from that effort is known as the Cardone Report.
In August 2021, she issued a temporary injunction in U.S. v. Texas and Greg Abbott blocking an executive order by Governor Abbott that would have allowed Texas state troopers to stop vehicles carrying people who might be illegal immigrants and potentially infected with COVID-19.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:29 (CET).