SAN ANTONIO – The latest Pickup Lines segment features Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai. His grandparents were humble farmers and immigrated to the United States from Japan.
His father, Pete Sakai, grew up in California during World War II. Pete Sakai and his family were victims of Executive Order 9066, authorizing Japanese Internment Camps.
The stories Peter Sakai’s father told him about going to high school in these camps instilled in him a lifelong passion for justice, the rule of law and civil rights.
After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in 1979, Peter Sakai served as an assistant district attorney at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office and went on to run his own private practice. He began his judicial career in 1995 when he was appointed to serve as the associate judge of the children’s court. He was later elected to four terms as judge of the 225th State District Court.
In 2021, he stepped down from his bench to run for county judge and was elected in November 2022.
“Some people have asked me, ‘are you having fun? ‘And I’ve had to kind of reflect on that. Leadership is not fun. It’s a tough world we live in now, and we have to make tough decisions. And I’ve got competing interests for the limited resources that we have, especially when we talk about taxpayer money. And so, it is rewarding. It is what I signed up for and what I wish to continue to do,” he explained.
Peter Sakai and his wife, Rachel, have two children and two grandchildren.
Watch the full Pickup Lines with Peter Sakai in the video player above.
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Ernie Zuniga started Pickup Lines, a digital talk show, straight from his vehicle. The segments feature a diverse range of guests, including executives, small business owners, and everyday individuals, as they share personal journeys, news, and stories.