History Made as First Navajo Appointed U.S. Federal Judge in California

Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes (Navajo Nation) made history on Friday, May 27, when she was sworn in as the federal district judge for the Central District of California in Riverside, Calif., with her family, friends, and colleagues supporting her from beside the stage.

Sykes' appointment marks the first time a citizen of the Navajo Nation has been appointed to serve as an Article III judge anywhere in the country. Article III judges are appointed for life as jurists on federal district and circuit courts and the Supreme Court.

President Joe Biden nominated Sykes in December of 2021. Sykes is Biden's second Native American judicial nominee, the first being Lauren King (Muscogee Nation) for the federal judge position in Washington.

https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/history-made-as-first-navajo-appointed-u-s-federal-judge-in-california