Judge Peter Sakai – 4/16/11
Judge, Bexar County 225th District Court
On November 7, 2006, Judge Peter Sakai was elected with nearly 60% of the entire Bexar County vote to the 225th District Court bench, succeeding his friend and mentor, Senior Judge John J. Specia. Judge Sakai was the highest vote-getter among the contested judicial races.
On January 1, 1995, Associate Judge Peter Sakai was appointed to the Children’s Court bench by the unanimous vote of the Bexar County Civil District Court Judges. He was assigned to hear cases that involve child abuse and neglect cases and the adoption cases that involve foster children.
Judge Sakai is 54 years old and was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. He graduated from McAllen High School in 1972 and attended then named Pan American University. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1976 and graduated with a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas Law School in 1979. At the age of 27 years old, he was appointed to be the Chief of the Juvenile Section of the District Attorney’s Office. He left the D.A.’s office for private practice. In 1989, he was appointed to be the Juvenile Master/Referee of the 289th District Court (Juvenile Court).
Through Judge Sakai’s leadership, adoption of foster children in Bexar County has increased nearly 1000% from 1995 to 2005. Bexar County routinely leads the State of Texas for the number of foster children with consummated adoptions and permanent homes. For his efforts, President (then Governor) George W. Bush recognized Judge Sakai and his model court on the Governor’s Committee to Promote Adoption.
Further, the Texas State Foster Parent Association recognized his efforts on adoption of foster children by foster parents in 1996. Judge Sakai was honored by St. Peter-St. Joseph’s Children’s Home for his advocacy of abused and neglected children in 1997. In 1998, the local San Antonio CASA recognized Judge Sakai as Judge of the Year. In 1999, Judge Sakai received the prestigious Dr. Dale Wood Award for his hard work and commitment to abused and neglected children.
In 2001, the San Antonio Bar Association and the Bexar County Commissioners Court recognized Judge Sakai’s efforts on Law Day 2001 and declared an Honorable Peter A. Sakai Day for his commitment to youth. That same year, Judge Sakai received the Jacqueline Reibach Award from the Family Law Section of the San Antonio Bar Association for his commitment to the foster children aging out of the foster care system and additional recognition by San Antonio Collaborative Adoption Network for his leadership on private/public collaboration on adoption of foster children. In 2002, Judge Sakai was honored by Girls & Boys Town with the National Spirit of Youth Award which was presented by Father Val J. Peter, Executive Director.
In 2003, Judge Sakai was honored with the Congressional Angel in Adoption Award in Washington, D.C. and was selected as the Lone Star Proud for Kids Judge of the Year at the State CASA Conference in Dallas, Texas.
In 2004, Judge Sakai was recognized with the First Family Advocate of Year by Methodist Health Care Ministries and by separate recognition from the San Antonio Women’s Chamber of Commerce. In 2005, The San Antonio Police Officers Association presented the S. A. Award to Judge Sakai in appreciation of exemplary service to the citizens of San Antonio and continued contributions to the law enforcement community. He was named “Angels of Texas” by the Therapeutic Family Life foster program. That same year, Judge Sakai received the Milagritos Amistad Award for his contribution, dedication and service to youth, families and community.
In 2008, Boysville of San Antonio awarded Judge Sakai with the prestigious Arthur O’Krent Humanitarian Award; the Texas Network of Youth Services of Austin, Texas recognized him with the statewide Trailblazer for Youth Award; and the Alamo Asian Chamber of Commerce cited him for his civic and humanitarian work in the community.
Judge Sakai is widely recognized in the community as being a leader who works hard to bring new ideas and solutions to help resolve issues of child abuse and neglect and family violence and to constantly challenge all involved in the child welfare system to more effectively serve the families that come into his courtroom and prevent child abuse and neglect.
Beyond his work with CASA and Child Protective Services Department, Judge Sakai is constantly looking for new and innovative ideas to help keep families together and improve children’s lives. Most recently, he has been involved in the planning and building of a national model Bexar County Children’s Court in the historic Bexar County Courthouse, the implementation of a Family Drug Treatment Court for parents with addiction issues who have children in the foster care system and the implementation of the Family Group Conferencing Model to bring families together to promote healing by families.
Judge Sakai is married to Raquel M. Dias-Sakai and has two children, George and Elizabeth.
Hosts,
Bjorn Dybdahl of Bjorn's
John Thurman of Heart of Texas Realty
Scott Woolfolk of Documation
Sponsors
