Judge Philip Martinez dies at 63, remembered for passion for justice, El Paso community

Prominent El Paso federal judge and community leader Philip Ray Martinez died Friday due to an apparent heart attack, colleagues said.

Martinez, 63, served the El Paso community as a judge for 30 years in both state and federal court.

“It is just tragic,” U.S. Senior Judge David Briones said as he got emotional talking about Martinez. “He is going to be sorely missed. He was a great leader. I am still in shock. …The community is going to miss him. He served honorably in state court and federal court. He is going to be greatly missed.”

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Former El Paso County District Attorney Jaime Esparza, who was friends with Martinez for more than 45 years, said Martinez looked well last week, adding he was shocked when he received news of Martinez’s death.

“I have known Philip for a very long time,” Esparza said. “We talked every week. I saw him (last) week and he seemed perfectly well and healthy. It is just a shock. I never expected to hear that. El Paso has lost a truly great public servant.”

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Martinez will be remembered for his commitment to justice and his love for El Paso, Esparza said. 

“He was an outstanding El Pasoan,” a distraught Esparza said. “He was extremely proud every time he represented UTEP. His public service as a county court judge, a state district judge, and federal judge was extraordinary. He was committed to serving the El Paso community.”

He continued: “He did a lot of things for our community. He was extremely active at St. Patrick Cathedral. He has two kids and has been married for a very long time. He was dedicated to them. I was very lucky to have known him.”

Martinez started his career in public service when he was elected judge of El Paso County Court-at-Law No. 1 in 1990.

He then was elected to serve as the judge for the 327th District Court in 1991. He held this seat until 2001.

In October 2001, he was nominated by President George W. Bush to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The U.S Senate confirmed him in February 2002.

“Not only did the judiciary lose an iconic and powerful figure, but our entire community lost a significant member who always put his love for El Paso first,” well-known El Paso lawyer Joe Spencer said as he tried to hold back his emotions. “I’ve known him since he was a judge for county court number 1. I have known him for a very long time. I am just at a loss. He meant so much to everybody.”

He added, “Judge Martinez was one of those judges that always found justice tempered with compassion.”

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Martinez oversaw several high-profile cases throughout his career, including murder, public corruption, and drug and sex trafficking.

He currently was presiding over two crucial cases in the El Paso community, including the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, known as Tiguas, against the state of Texas over gambling operations on tribal land.

The other case was the lawsuit filed by the family of a man, Erik Salas-Sanchez, killed by El Paso Police Department officers.

In a ruling that shocked the community, Martinez ruled that Salas-Sanchez’s family and lawyers had provided enough evidence of possible misconduct by the El Paso Police Department to move forward with the civil lawsuit.

He ruled that an El Paso jury should hear the case to determine if officers acted with excessive force and whether there is a lack of training and a pattern by El Paso Police Department Chief Greg Allen of allowing officers to use excessive force.

No trial date has been set in the case.

Martinez’s cases now will be transferred to another federal judge in the Western District of Texas.

Martinez was a graduate of Burges High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Texas at El Paso, then went on to earn his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1982.

Martinez was on the path to becoming the next chief justice for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Briones said.

“He was going to be the next chief justice,” Briones said. “He was studying for it. I am not sure of the timeline, but he was going to get it in a year or so. He was going to get it. He had a remarkable career and would have made a great chief justice. He was a great jurist.”

Aaron Martinez may be reached at 915-546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinezEPT on Twitter.