Three Indian American judges take oath in Texas
Juli A Mathew, first Indian American woman judge, sworn in via videoconferencing from Kasaragod
Three newly elected Indian Americans have been sworn in as Fort Bend County Judges in Texas. Juli A. Mathew, K.P. George, and Surendran K. Pattel, all Democrats, took oath of their offices at a ceremony on Sunday.
Mathew, the first Indian American woman to be elected a judge in the US four years ago, was re-elected for a second term after defeating her Republican challenger Andrew Dornburg.
Read: Roopali H. Desai becomes first South Asian woman judge on 9th circuit (August 8, 2022)
Mathew, a native of Thiruvalla in Kerala, was sworn in via videoconferencing from Bheemanady in Kasaragod and will continue to serve as presiding judge for a second term of four years.
She was voted the Administrative Judge for the County Courts by her peers and also heads the first Juvenile Intervention and Mental Health Court.
In a Facebook post after winning the election, she wrote, “Thank you! I am truly grateful to have been selected to serve the citizens of Fort Bend County for one more term. I’m grateful for every supporter, prayer warrior, and voter during this journey.”
Read: Here are some of the top Indian American judges (July 23, 2020)
George, 57, the first Indian-American to hold an office in Fort Bend County, won a second term as the county’s judge in a close race in the November elections. He hails from Kerala’s Kakkodu city.
George said that community engagement will be his top priority during his second term as the chief executive for one of the most diverse and fastest-growing counties in the country.
Pattel, 52, who edged Republican Edward M. Krenek in the race for the 240th Judicial District in November, was also sworn in as district judge.
Read: Indian-American takes oath as judge in US over video call from Kerala (January 2, 2023)
An attorney in Texas since 2009, Pattel, a Kerala native, also worked as a lawyer in India, where he earned his law degree in 1995 from the University of Calicut.
According to his website, Pattel was elected in 2015 as the president of the Malayalee Association of Greater Houston, a 2,500-member nonprofit organization that serves more than 12,000 Indian families.
