About

Judge Bob Perkins was born in Laredo, Texas. His parents, Bill and Carol Perkins, were both educators and large influences in his life. He was raised in Eagle Pass, Texas and learned Spanish before he learned English. His mother was raised in Mexico and her work in bilingual education has been recognized nationwide. Judge Perkins’s love of singing with mariachis comes from his mother.

He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1970 and from UT Law School in 1973. In 1974 he was elected Justice of the Peace in Southeast Austin and Travis County thus becoming the first bilingual judge elected in Austin. He became a County Court at Law judge in 1980 and was later elected District Judge of the 331st District Court of Travis County, where he served from 1982 until he retired at the end of 2010. Judge Perkins was the first Presiding Criminal Judge of Travis County, elected by his colleagues in 2009.

While serving as a Justice of the Peace he served on the Austin Center for Battered Women Advisory Board. Bob was the first District Judge to require that the District Attorney consult with the victims of crime before offering a plea bargain to defendants. . He also required that various Travis County legal forms be re-written in language that could be readily understood by the general public.

Presently, he resides in Austin with his wife, Cyndy. He is the father of three children, Javier, Allen, and Ana, and is a proud grandfather of three.