Presiding Judge

Presiding Judge Carla Obledo was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She graduated from Incarnate Word High School and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She graduated from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas, receiving a Doctorate of Jurisprudence. In 1995, she was admitted to the Texas State Bar and established a private practice in San Antonio.

Judge Obledo was appointed a City of San Antonio Municipal Court Judge and Magistrate and served in that capacity for twenty-one years. Appointed by Mayor Ron Nirenberg and the San Antonio City Council, she assumed the duties of Presiding Judge of the Court in January 2020. 

Judge Obledo believes in a transparent forum that fairly administers justice and balances due process rights with public safety. She has focused on leveraging the court's digital infrastructure to increase accessibility and improve how the court impacts the community it serves.

In 2021, Judge Obledo created SA Road Ready, a specialized docket focused on providing appropriate consideration to young drivers. That same year, Judge Obledo launched Drive SAfely SA, an umbrella enterprise that aims to prevent roadway deaths and injuries.

Drive SAfely SA initiatives promote awareness by providing information and education to the greater San Antonio community. Recent Drive SAfely SA campaigns have focused on the most dangerous 100 days of summer, distracted driving, and teen drivers.

The "100 Deadliest Days" campaign draws attention to the one hundred days between Memorial and Labor Day, a period statistically known for the dramatic increase in fatal accidents involving teen drivers. Distracted Driving Awareness Month is observed in April and aims to reduce activities that divert attention from safe driving. Teen Driver Awareness Month is in January and focuses on reducing risks associated with teen drivers.