American judge (born 1974)
Sunshine Suzanne Sykes (born 1974)[ 2] is an American lawyer serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California .[ 3] She previously served as a judge of the California Superior Court for Riverside County from 2013 to 2022.
Early life and education
Sykes was born on the Navajo Nation Reservation in Tuba City, Arizona , and was raised in Gallup, New Mexico . She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 2001.[ 4]
Career
From 2001 to 2003, Sykes worked as a staff attorney for California Indian Legal Services. From 2003 to 2005, she was a contract attorney for the Defense Panel at the Southwest Justice Center. She also worked for the California Department of Social Services . From 2005 to 2013, Sykes served as deputy county counsel for Riverside County, California . In 2013, she was nominated by then-Governor Jerry Brown to serve as a judge on the Riverside County Superior Court .[ 3] [ 5]
Federal judicial service
Sykes testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee
On December 15, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Sykes to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California . Presiden Biden nominated Sykes to the seat vacated by Judge James V. Selna , who assumed senior status on March 3, 2020.[ 6] On February 1, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee .[ 7] On March 10, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[ 8] On May 17, 2022, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 51–45 vote.[ 9] On May 18, 2022, her nomination was confirmed by a 51–45 vote.[ 10] She received her judicial commission on June 14, 2022.[ 11] Sykes became the fifth American Indian ever to serve on the federal bench.[ 12]
See also
References
^ "Governor Brown Appoints Sunshine S. Sykes to Riverside County Superior Court" . www.ca.gov . December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2022 .
^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF) . United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved February 1, 2022 .
^ a b "President Biden Names Eleventh Round of Judicial Nominees" . The White House . 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-12-15 .
^ "Taking the Stand: Judge Sunshine Sykes" . Stanford Law School . 31 May 2017. Retrieved 2021-12-15 .
^ Staff, Native News Online (15 December 2021). "Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, Navajo, Nominated for U.S. District Court" . Native News Online . Retrieved 2021-12-15 .
^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. December 15, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
^ "Nominations" . Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary . January 31, 2022.
^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – March 10, 2022" (PDF) . United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved March 10, 2022 .
^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Sunshine Suzanne Sykes to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California)" . United States Senate . May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022 .
^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, of California, to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California)" . United States Senate . May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022 .
^ Sunshine Sykes at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges , a publication of the Federal Judicial Center .
^ "Republicans Cast Second Circuit Nominee as Soft on Crime (2)" . news.bloomberglaw.com . Retrieved December 22, 2021 .
External links