--- title: "Ysmael D. Fonseca | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ysmael-d-fonseca-tx-13th-court-appeals" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Ysmael D. Fonseca Texas 13th Court of Appeals · Court of Appeals Justice ## Profile - Court: Texas 13th Court of Appeals - State: Texas - Role: Court of Appeals Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-27 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Partner, Guerra & Sabo, PLLC, McAllen, TX, 2021-present - He held the role of Judge of the 464th District Court of Hidalgo County (2019–2020) and Judge of the 476th District Court of Hidalgo County (2023–2024) - Judge, Texas 464th Judicial District Court, 2019-2020 - Law Clerk, District Court, S.D. Texas, McAllen, TX, 2009-2011 - Began as a judicial law clerk for Judge Randy Crane (U.S. District Court, S.D. Texas) and later practiced at Guerra & Sabo, PLLC, specializing in civil defense, municipal law, and small business/nonprofit representation - In summary: Justice Fonseca is a South Texas native with a strong background in public service, legal practice, and community leadership, now serving as an appellate judge in Texas with a focus on statutory interpretation and procedural fairness ### Education - Political Science & Spanish Literature, cum laude — University of Notre Dame — 2003 ### Additional information - His term runs through December 31, 2030. - Place 4 of the Texas Thirteenth Court of Appeals, elected in 2024 and taking office January 1, 2025, with a term ending in 2030. - Elected Place 4 of the Thirteenth Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024, Fonseca’s tenure began January 1, 2025. - Practitioner, Guerra, Leeds, Sabo & Hernandez, PLLC, 2011-2019 - Born and raised in South Texas, Fonseca earned a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish Literature and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame in 2003 and 2009, respectively. - Date of birth: 1981-05-15 - handling criminal, family, and civil cases. - The court covers Corpus Christi and Edinburg, Texas, and handles appeals in civil and criminal matters. - Fonseca’s opinions score well on textualism and restraint, with many cases rated “PASS” under the LTRS Standard. - While in law school, he served with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in McAllen, TX, with Senator John Cornyn’s Judiciary Committee, and as editor of the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy - Before law school, he held a position as a Paralegal Specialist for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. - His work includes civil appeals involving insurance disputes, municipal authority, and statutory interpretation. - focusing on human trafficking cases. - He serves on the boards of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan Del Valle, McAllen Pregnancy Center, and RGV LEAD. - Fonseca is also a member of the Texas Bar Foundation and the College of the State Bar of Texas. - Birth place: Welasco, TX ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### appellate electronic filing Scope: statewide In Texas appellate courts, attorneys must electronically file civil and criminal documents, subject to a good-cause motion; self-represented parties may e-file but are not required to do so. Evidence excerpt: Attorneys in civil cases must electronically file documents. Attorneys in criminal cases must electronically file documents except for good cause shown in a motion filed in the appellate court. [Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.txcourts.gov/13thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-ysmael-d-fonseca/) - [Official roster](https://www.txcourts.gov/13thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-ysmael-d-fonseca/) - [Texas Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://www.txcourts.gov/13thcoa/about-the-court/justices/justice-ysmael-d-fonseca/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15652/ysmael-d-fonseca-jr/) - [Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461885/texas-rules-of-appellate-procedure.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/15652/ysmael-d-fonseca-jr/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ysmael-d-fonseca-tx-13th-court-appeals", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ysmael-d-fonseca-tx-13th-court-appeals", "name": "Ysmael D. 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