Hinojosa was born in
Rio Grande City, Texas. He received a
Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Texas, Austin in 1972, and a
Juris Doctor 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. In 2015, he received the Presidential Citation from UT Austin.
Federal judicial service 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 Judge
Woodrow Bradley 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 President
George W. Bush in 2003. He served as chief judge from 2009 to 2016. He assumed
senior status on May 21, 2025, Hinojosa left the court on October 1, 2025. ==See also==