Judge John Mendez
Eastern California U.S. District Court
John Anthony Mendez was born in September 1955 in Oakland, California. He earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, and his Juris Doctor from Harvard University. He went into private practice.
Mendez served as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Northern California before becoming U.S. Attorney in that district. He returned to private practice, then served as a Sacramento County Superior Court judge for seven years.
President George W. Bush nominated him for district judge in 2007. The Senate confirmed him, and he received his judicial commission in April 2008.
In the News…
U.S. District Judge John Mendez blocked a California law that would allow anyone to sue for damages for AI deepfake productions. The judge placed a preliminary injunction against the Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024, acknowledging that AI and deepfakes pose risks, but the law violates the First Amendment.
Judge Mendez wrote, “Most of AB 2839 acts as a hammer instead of a scalpel, serving as a blunt tool that hinders humorous expression and unconstitutionally stifles the free and unfettered exchange of ideas which is so vital to American democratic debate.“
Judge Mendez stated that, while the state has a “valid interest in protecting the integrity and reliability” of elections, the law allowed “unbridled license to bulldoze over the longstanding tradition of critique, parody, and satire protected by the First Amendment.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Mendez today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable John Mendez
Eastern California U.S. District Court
Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse
501 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
