Judge Robert S. Anchondo is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, and a graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston. Judge Anchondo received his law license in November of 1982 and began his law practice in El Paso, Texas. In 1992, Judge Anchondo was appointed as Municipal Court Judge and served in that capacity as appointed and elected judge until September 2001, and is currently the presiding judge over County Criminal Court at Law Number Two.
Judge Anchondo has served his profession throughout the years as president of the Mexican-American Bar Association of El Paso, Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas, president of the El Paso Bar Association, president of the Texas Association of Drug Court Professionals. He has served as a board of director for the State Bar of Texas. He has served on the board of directors of the Texas Center for the Judiciary, was the designated Dean of the DWI College and served in the curriculum committee to assist judges being educated in this area.
His vision enabled him to create the first DWI Intervention and Treatment Program for the State of Texas in November of 2004, allowing him to handle cases of adults convicted with DWI offenses, thus providing an alternative to incarceration. He has been able to assemble a team to assist in this endeavor and has been acknowledged statewide by enlisting community partners to help these individuals restore and save their lives along with their families. Judge Anchondo has been available to present and lecture at a local, state and national level on various topics dealing with judicial education and was also invited by the Country of Ecuador to speak and present information to various government branches and treatment centers on the adult drug court model, as well as Mexico City, to present, teach and celebrate the inaugural drug court model in the country of Mexico.
Due to the enormous time and effort that Judge Anchondo and his team have devoted to the community of El Paso, Texas, and the participants that have gone through the program, the El Paso County DWI Intervention and Treatment Program has been awarded three consecutive times the Academy Court Award from NHTSA and The National Center for DWI Drug Courts in recognition for their dedication to keeping our nation’s highways safe by combining treatment and accountability. Furthermore, he and his team were presented the 2015 Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award, at the Fourth Annual Law Enforcement Recognition Event, in recognition to the dedication to MADD’s mission to end drunk driving in El Paso County, and the 2015 National Center for DWI Courts Leadership Award for advancement of the nation’s DWI court effort, significant personal leadership and exemplary performance through both specific results and public recognition at the local, regional, state or national level. The Judge was also awarded the 2019 Kevin E. Quinlan Award, from Responsibility.org, for recognizing leaders who have made a significant contribution to the field of traffic safety, and the 2020 Judge John C. Creuzot Award for judicial vision and leadership.
Judge Anchondo also serves as Regional Outreach Liaison, which provides a foundation for the American Bar Association to focus outreach efforts on educating and mobilizing support for alcohol and drug-impaired driving programs and traffic safety activities. Judge Anchondo also takes the time to devote his talents to his ministry in the church as a lector. He is proud to say that he is married to his wife, Maria, and has four wonderful adult children and four gorgeous grandchildren.