The Honorable Immigration Judge Albert J. Charanza Jr. was appointed as an immigration judge to begin hearing cases in July 2026. Judge Charanza earned a Bachelor of Science in 1987 from the University of Texas, Austin, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1992 from South Texas College of Law, Houston. From August 2022 to June 2026, he served as an assistant district attorney with the Parker County District Attorney’s Office in Weatherford, Texas. From April 2003 to July 2022, he served as a criminal defense attorney in federal and state courts for Charanza Law Office PC in Lufkin, Texas. From October 1998 to March 2003, he served as assistant district attorney for the Angelina County District Attorney’s Office in Lufkin, Texas. From July 1996 to September 1998, he was a civil litigation attorney for Fenley & Bate LLP in Lufkin, Texas. From January 1993 to June 1996, he served on active duty as a judge advocate at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. After active duty, he continued serving in the Marine Corps Reserve as an intelligence officer and served in the Reserve Legal Support Section in various roles including as a staff judge advocate, and as a trial advocacy instructor, at the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island. In June 2016, Judge Charanza retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve after 25 years of service. Judge Charanza is a member of the State Bar of Texas.