{"id":21794,"date":"2022-03-07T19:32:28","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T00:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=21794"},"modified":"2022-03-11T11:30:15","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T16:30:15","slug":"native-judge-awaits-movement-on-historic-nomination-to-federal-bench","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/03\/07\/native-judge-awaits-movement-on-historic-nomination-to-federal-bench\/","title":{"rendered":"Native judge awaits movement on historic nomination to federal bench"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aoAXYReffMY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Indianz.Com Video: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/aoAXYReffMY>Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes &#8211; Senate Committee on the Judiciary &#8211; February 1, 2022<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Native judge awaits movement on historic nomination to federal bench<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, March 7, 2022<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. &#8212; \r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/>Senate Committee on the Judiciary<\/a> has once again scheduled a meeting to advance the nomination of another Native woman to the federal bench.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/15\/president-biden-nominates-another-native-woman-to-federal-bench\/>Sunshine Suzanne Sykes<\/a>, a citizen of the <a href=https:\/\/www.navajo-nsn.gov\/>Navajo Nation<\/a>, has been waiting for committee movement for more than a month. Her <a href=https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/meetings\/01\/25\/2022\/nominations>confirmation hearing took place on February 1<\/a>, when she spoke of her immense pride in her tribal background.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;I would not be here today without the sacrifices and resilience of so many that came before me,&#8221; Sykes said in her <a href=https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/indianz\/sunshine-suzanne-sykes?in=indianz\/sets\/senate-committee-on-the-judiciary-nominations-february-1-2022>opening statement to the committee<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n &#8220;I come from a long line of strong <em>M\u0105&#8217;ii deeshgiizhinii<\/em>  Navajo women,&#8221; she added, using the <a href=https:\/\/nativestudy.com\/navajo-tribal-clans.html>Navajo language term for her clan<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;The seed that brought me here existed long ago,&#8221; Sykes said at the hearing in the nation&#8217;s capital. &#8220;It was held by my ancestors and nurtured by my great-grandmother, when she raised her family while tending sheep on the Navajo Reservation.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;It grew in my grandmother as she entered life at Indian boarding schools,&#8221; Sykes said in reference to one of the many strong Navajo women in her background. &#8220;It  sprouted in my mother when, as a little girl, I saw her strength &#8212; even when she herself thought she had none &#8212; and it flourished in me.&#8221;\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1217575771&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/indianz\" title=\"indianz\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">indianz<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/indianz\/sunshine-suzanne-sykes\" title=\"Sunshine Suzanne Sykes\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Sunshine Suzanne Sykes<\/a><\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Indianz.Com Audio: <a href=https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/indianz\/sunshine-suzanne-sykes?in=indianz\/sets\/senate-committee-on-the-judiciary-nominations-february-1-2022>Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes &#8211; Senate Committee on the Judiciary &#8211; February 1, 2022<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nDuring the nomination hearing, Sykes did not face any outright hostile questions from any members of the committee. Two Republicans pressed her on   matters involving interpretations of federal laws, which she answered with promises to follow all applicable standards.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;I have had occasion where, in a civil matter, I may not have known something and I do the research necessary to discover and to research what ever it is that I need to do to make myself familiar with that,&#8221; Sykes told <a href=https:\/\/www.kennedy.senate.gov\/>Sen. John Kennedy<\/a> (R-Louisiana).\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/www.blackburn.senate.gov\/>Sen. Marsha Blackburn<\/a> (R-Tennessee) asked about a specific case from California, where Sykes serves as a <a href=https:\/\/www.riverside.courts.ca.gov\/>judge for the Superior Court of Riverside County<\/a>. She noted that  her position on a state law affecting booking fees for criminal defendants  was later confirmed as the right one. \r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;I did not insert any personal preference and it was later found by our appellate district that in fact my interpretation was correct,&#8221; Sykes said in reference to the eventual resolution of the case, <EM>People of the State of California v. Kimsey<\/em>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<iframe class=\"embed-responsive-item streaminghearing\" src=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/isvp\/?comm=judiciary&#038;type=live&#038;stt=&#038;filename=judiciary020122&#038;auto_play=false&#038;wmode=transparent&#038;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ejudiciary%2Esenate%2Egov%2Fthemes%2Fjudiciary%2Fimages%2Fvideo%2Dposter%2Dflash%2Dfit%2Epng\"  allowfullscreen=\"1\"><\/iframe>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Senate Committee on the Judiciary: <a href=https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/meetings\/01\/25\/2022\/nominations> Nominations Hearing &#8211; February 1, 2022<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nSykes otherwise was warmly embraced by the legislative panel. Both <a href=https:\/\/www.feinstein.senate.gov\/>Sen. Dianne Feinstein<\/a> (D-California) and <a href=https:\/\/www.padilla.senate.gov\/>Sen. Alex Padilla<\/a> (D-California) highlighted the historic nature of a judicial  nomination in a state with the largest population of American Indians and Alaska Natives. \r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;She began her career with California Indian Legal Services, where \r\n  she worked to address domestic violence issues in Native communities,&#8221; Feinstein said of Sykes and her work prior to becoming a state court judge. &#8220;She has spent two years with the Juvenile Defense Panel where she worked as an advocate on behalf of minors in juvenile dependency and delinquency cases.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;In both of these roles, she has become a real expert in legal issues related to the Indian Child Welfare Act,&#8221; Feinstein said of  the landmark federal law whose <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/03\/01\/cronkite-news-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-indian-child-welfare-act-case\/>fate is now in the hands of the U.S Supreme Court<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nCalifornia is home to more than 100 tribes, including more than a dozen in Riverside County. Sykes has been a judge there since 2013, when she became the first Native person to sit on the bench in the county.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;Over the past nine years, Judge Sykes has presided over nearly 100 civil, criminal and appellate cases,&#8221;   said Padilla, a new member of the Senate. &#8220;She is a leader of the Superior Court, appointed as presiding judge over the appellate division in 2019.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;She brings an impressive legal work ethic and sense of empathy as a judge for the central district,&#8221; Padilla added. &#8220;If confirmed, she&#8217;ll be the first native American to serve on a federal court in California.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nDespite the strong support shown by Democrats, who control the Senate, Sykes still awaits movement on her nomination. She was  on the agenda for a <a href=https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/meetings\/02\/10\/2022\/executive-business-meeting>business meeting on February 17<\/a> that was canceled due to a change in the schedule for the overall chamber.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nA subsequent <a href=https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/meetings\/02\/24\/2022\/executive-business-meeting>business meeting on March 3<\/a> with Sykes on the agenda   was canceled at the last minute, amid some unrelated issues.  Feinstein&#8217;s husband, <a href=https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_C._Blum>Richard Charles Blum<\/a>, passed away at the start of the week  and she stayed home in California following the loss.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenAlexPadilla\/status\/1498653558337585152>Padilla<\/a> tested positive for  <a href=\/covid19\/>COVID-19<\/a> at the start of the work week and he too stayed away from the U.S. Capitol. Both he and Feinstein missed the State of the Union on March 2.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nA business meeting on March 10 now marks the third time Sykes is on the committee&#8217;s agenda. A total of nine nominees, including six for the federal bench, are due to be considered on Thursday.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/03\/07\/native-judge-awaits-movement-on-historic-nomination-to-federal-bench\/sunshine-suzanne-sykes-a-nominee-to-be-a-u-s-district-judge-for-the-central-district-of-california-testifies-during-a-u-s-senate-judiciary-committee-hearing-on-capitol-hill-in-washington-u-s-fe\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-21850\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-attachment-id=\"21850\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/03\/07\/native-judge-awaits-movement-on-historic-nomination-to-federal-bench\/sunshine-suzanne-sykes-a-nominee-to-be-a-u-s-district-judge-for-the-central-district-of-california-testifies-during-a-u-s-senate-judiciary-committee-hearing-on-capitol-hill-in-washington-u-s-fe\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/08\/sunshinesuzannesykes-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Alamy Stock Photo&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;2HK04BT Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, a nominee to be a U.S. District Judge for the Central District Of California, testifies during a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 1, 2022. REUTERS\/Elizabeth Frantz&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Credit: REUTERS \/ Alamy Stock Photo&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, a nominee to be a U.S. District Judge for the Central District Of California, testifies during a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 1, 2022. REUTERS\/Elizabeth Frantz&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Sunshine Suzanne Sykes\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Sunshine Suzanne Sykes&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, a nominee to be a U.S. District Judge for the Central District Of California, testifies at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on February 1, 2022. Photo: REUTERS\/Elizabeth Frantz&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/08\/sunshinesuzannesykes-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/08\/sunshinesuzannesykes-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Sunshine Suzanne Sykes\"  class=\"size-full wp-image-21850\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, a nominee to be a U.S. District Judge for the Central District Of California, testifies at a  Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on February 1, 2022. Photo: REUTERS\/Elizabeth Frantz<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAssuming Sykes is approved by the committee, the next step in the process would be a vote on the floor of the Senate. There is no timeline for a final confirmation vote but <a href=https:\/\/www.hirono.senate.gov\/>Sen. Mazie Hirono<\/a> (D-Hawaii) is already looking forward to that historic day.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;Congratulations,&#8221; Hirono said at the hearing on February 1 as she brought up the many broken promises of the U.S. government toward Native peoples.  &#8220;You will be one of the few Native Americans to ever sit on the federal courts, should you be confirmed.&#8221;\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nIf confirmed as the first Native federal judge in California, Sykes joins another historic nominee. Last May,   President Joe Biden nominated <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/05\/13\/indian-country-cheers-nomination-of-muscogee-nation-citizen-to-federal-bench\/>Lauren King<\/a>, a citizen of the <a href=https:\/\/www.muscogeenation.com\/>Muscogee Nation<\/a>, to serve as a federal judge in Washington.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n King was <a href=https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/nomination\/117th-congress\/568>confirmed by the Senate<\/a> by a <a href=https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/legislative\/LIS\/roll_call_votes\/vote1171\/vote_117_1_00407.htm>vote of 55 to 44<\/a> on October 5, making her the <a href=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bWhd3pSsOhg>first Native judge in the state<\/a>. She serves on the  <a href=https:\/\/www.wawd.uscourts.gov\/>United States District Court for the Western District of Washington<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_indianz-com\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/17\/tribal-leaders-hail-historic-nomination-of-native-woman-to-federal-bench\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/21\/sunshinesuzannesykesncainarf-3.jpg\" alt=\"Tribal leaders hail historic nomination of Native woman to federal bench\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/17\/tribal-leaders-hail-historic-nomination-of-native-woman-to-federal-bench\/\">\n\t\t\tTribal leaders hail historic nomination of Native woman to federal bench\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/17\/tribal-leaders-hail-historic-nomination-of-native-woman-to-federal-bench\/\">\n\t\t\t<p>Tribal leaders are welcoming the historic nomination of Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, to the federal bench.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/favicon.ico\" alt=\"Indianz.Com\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\tIndianz.Com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nKing is only the third <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/02\/25\/judge-diane-humetewa-justice-in-indian-country\/>Native woman to serve as a federal judge<\/a>. The first is <a href=https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Diane_Humetewa>Diane Humetewa<\/a>, a citizen of the <a href=https:\/\/www.hopi-nsn.gov\/>Hopi Tribe<\/a> who was <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2014\/01\/06\/obama-resubmits-nomination-of.asp>nominated to the bench by then-Democratic president  Barack Obama<\/a> in 2014. She serves on the <a href=https:\/\/www.azd.uscourts.gov\/>U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona<\/a>.  \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAdditionally, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.choctawnation.com\/ada-brown-serves-inspire-others\">Ada Brown<\/a>, a citizen of the    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.choctawnation.com\/\">Choctaw Nation<\/a>, serves as judge for the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.txnd.uscourts.gov\/\">Northern District of Texas<\/a>. She was nominated by Republican former president Donald Trump and was <a href=http:\/\/www.txnd.uscourts.gov\/news\/press-release-ada-elene-brown>confirmed to the bench in September 2019<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Senate Committee on the Judiciary Notice<\/div>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/meetings\/03\/10\/2022\/executive-business-meeting>Executive Business Meeting<\/a> (March 10, 2022)\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h4-responsive\">Related Stories<\/div><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/17\/tribal-leaders-hail-historic-nomination-of-native-woman-to-federal-bench\/\" title=\"Tribal leaders hail historic nomination of Native woman to federal bench\">Tribal leaders hail historic nomination of Native woman to federal bench<\/a> (December 17, 2021)<BR>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/15\/president-biden-nominates-another-native-woman-to-federal-bench\/\" title=\"President Biden nominates another Native woman to federal bench\">President Biden nominates another Native woman to federal bench<\/a> (December 15, 2021)","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, is hoping to become the first Native federal judge in the entire state of California.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21850,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,13,1,14],"tags":[869,1543,1596,42,38,5,94,1214,1598,86,53,2578,175,1542,2579,1224,24,85,91,2312,84,27,314,44],"class_list":["post-21794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-trust","category-law","category-national","category-politics","tag-117th","tag-ada-brown","tag-alex-padilla","tag-arizona","tag-california","tag-coronavirus","tag-democrats","tag-diane-humetewa","tag-dianne-feinstein","tag-icwa","tag-joe-biden","tag-john-kennedy","tag-languages","tag-lauren-king","tag-marsha-blackburn","tag-mazie-hirono","tag-navajo","tag-republicans","tag-senate","tag-sunshine-suzanne-sykes","tag-supreme-court","tag-texas","tag-washington","tag-women","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/08\/sunshinesuzannesykes-scaled.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-5Fw","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}