LOS ANGELES – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated Filipino-American Tani Cantil-Sakauye, an associate justice for the 3rd District Court of Appeal, as his nominee for Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court.
If the Commission on Judicial Appointments and then the state’s voters affirm the nomination, she would become the first Asian American to lead the state’s judiciary.
Schwarzenegger cited the 50-year-old Cantil-Sakauye’s "distinguished history of public service" and independent and fair interpretation and administration of the law as some of the reasons why he chose her as his nominee to the state’s high court.
"She is a living example of the American Dream and when she is confirmed by the voters in November, Judge Cantil-Sakauye will become California’s first Filipina chief justice; adding to our High Court’s already rich diversity," said Schwarzenegger in a statement.
In a statement, Cantil-Sakauye, a Republican, said the nomination was a "tremendous honor."
"It is a privilege and a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to serve as chief justice of the California Supreme Court," said Cantil-Sakauye. "I have had the distinct pleasure of being a municipal court judge, a superior court judge and an appellate court justice. Being nominated to serve on the highest court in California is a dream come true.
"As a jurist, woman and a Filipina, I am extremely grateful for the trust Gov. Schwarzenegger has placed in me," she added. "I hope to show young people what they can achieve if they follow their dreams and reach for their full potential."
Cantil-Sakauye came from humble beginnings.
According to her biography, her mother was a farm worker and father worked in the sugarcane and pineapple plantations in Hawaii before their family moved to Sacramento.
The family struggled financially during her upbringing. Her biography by Sacramento Lawyer said that she didn’t believe in Santa Claus because for years, Christmas presents were nothing more than shower caps and robes in her household while her friends would be showered with emerald earrings and pearl necklaces.
Those years of financial hardship only made her more resolute and determined to succeed in her studies. She worked her way through college and eventually law school at King Hall at UC Davis, where she earned a BA and JD.
After graduating from law school, she started her legal career as a deputy district attorney in the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office and steadily moved up to deputy legal affairs secretary, deputy legislative secretary, municipal court judge and superior court judge for the Sacramento County Superior Court.
Schwarzenegger nominated Cantil-Sakauye to the associate justice for the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento in 2005.
Current Chief Justice Ronald M. George is slated to retire on January 2, 2011, thus opening a vacancy for Cantil-Sakauye.
( Published July 24, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A1 )
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