Background & Experience

1. Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley to Pete and Rose Marie Sakai; a farming family for over two generations.

2. Graduated from McAllen High School, 1972.

3. Bachelor of Arts, University of Texas at Austin, 1976.

4. Law Degree, University of Texas at Austin, 1979.

5. Married for over 23 years with Raquel "Rachel" Dias-Sakai, an educator for 30 years in Harlandale ISD.

6. Two children, George(21) and Elizabeth (15)

7. Member of St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church

EXPERIENCE

1. Licensed Attorney and Counselor at Law for 26 years.

2. Assistant Criminal District Attorney, Appellate Section, 1979-1980 Assistant District Attorney, Chief of Juvenile Section, 1981-1982. Prosecuted several hundreds of cases to jury and non-jury trials as an Assistant District Attorney for Bexar County District Attorney's Office and in addition, wrote many briefs and presented oral arguments to the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Texas.

3. Law Office of Peter A. Sakai, General Civil and Criminal Litigation, 1983-1994. As an attorney in private practice, I tried hundreds of cases to jury and non-jury trials involving personal injury, worker's compensation, divorce, child custody, child support, contract disputes, school law and other civil and criminal matters.

I served as City Attorney for Converse, Elmendorf, Helotes, Kirby, and Leon Valley.

4. Judicial Experience Totaling more than 18 years in Municipal Court, Juvenile Court (289th District Court), and Bexar County Children's Court (All Civil District Courts of Bexar County).

5. Associate Judge, Bexar County Children's Court, 1995-2005. The following activities are examples of the commitment to the justice system - all of which are the foundation of experience and future successful efforts to IMPROVE the SYSTEM:

Widely recognized community 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 the courtroom and prevent child abuse and neglect.

I have 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 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 and positively safe reunified families.

I am a renowned keynote speaker and conference trainer on child abuse and neglect at local, state and national conferences throughout the United States. Conducted training for Ad Litem Attorneys for the Children's Court.