Tani Cantil Sakauye

Early life and education

Born in Sacramento, California, as Tani Gorre Cantil, she was raised in the Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento. In 1977, she earned her high school diploma from C. K. McClatchy High School, and in 1978 her A.A. from Sacramento City College, where she played competitive tennis and won awards in debate. In 1980, she graduated with a B.A. from the University of California, Davis. In 1984, she received her J.D. from UC Davis School of Law. Cantil-Sakauye is of mixed descent. Her Hawaii-born father, Clarence, was of Filipino and Portuguese ancestry, while her mother, Mary Gorre, was Filipino.

Legal career

Upon graduation from law school in 1984, Cantil was unable to find a job in law, so she became a blackjack dealer in Reno, Nevada. At the time the Sacramento County Public Defender's Office had refused to hire her because of her age. Later that same year, Deputy District Attorney Russell Hom (a future Sacramento County Superior Court Judge) recruited Cantil to come to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.

In 1988, Cantil left the District Attorney's office to become a Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to Governor George Deukmejian. The next year, Deukmejian appointed Cantil as a Deputy Legislative Secretary.

Judicial career

In 1990, Deukmejian appointed her as a Judge of the Sacramento Municipal Court. In 1997, Governor Pete Wilson appointed her as a Judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court. She served there until 2005, when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her as an Associate Justice of the California Third District Court of Appeal. In the November 7, 2006, election she was retained by the voters.

On July 21, 2010, Schwarzenegger nominated Cantil-Sakauye, who is also a Republican, to succeed retiring Chief Justice Ronald M. George on the California Supreme Court. On August 25, 2010, the three-member California Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously approved her nomination as the next chief justice of California. In the November 2010 general elections, voters retained her for a 12-year term as Chief Justice.

During her time on the appellate court, Cantil-Sakauye has served as: a member of the Judicial Council, where she was vice chair of the Rules and Projects Committee; chair of the Advisory Committee on Financial Accountability and Efficiency for the Judicial Branch; co-chair of the Judicial Recruitment and Retention Working Group; and a member of the California Commission on Impartial Courts. She has served as President of the Anthony M. Kennedy American Inns of Court, an organization promoting civility, ethics, and professionalism in the practice of law. Beginning in 2007, she also served as a Special Master, selected by the Supreme Court to hear disciplinary proceedings before the Commission on Judicial Performance.

As Chief Justice, Cantil-Sakauye has pursued a number of policy initiatives. These include bail reform and decriminalizing minor traffic offenses, improved funding for courts and the bar, and civil discourse education for students. Finally, she has explained why it is important that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement not make arrests at state courthouses.

Bail reform

In 2016, Cantil-Sakauye led the effort at bail reform and to reclassify minor traffic infractions as civil instead of criminal to promote fairness of the law. In March 2016, she outlined the scope of her initiative in a speech. In January 2017, she reiterated her concern of the impact of bail on those who cannot afford to pay. In June 2017, a reform bill progressed in the California State Assembly. However, in July 2017 some critics expressed concern that the current bail system best serves the goal of ensuring court attendance. In August 2017, a settlement in Solano County, California, promised some degree of reform. Also in August 2017, the State Legislature declined to address in the current session the broader reform sought by the Chief Justice.

Court and bar funding

In 2017, Cantil-Sakauye advocated for additional court funding. In July 2017, she explained that a history of inadequate funding has compromised services to the public, and in San Francisco has led to cuts at the courthouse. However, the Legislature has so far failed to provide the sought after increase in funding for the courts.

In September 2016, Cantil-Sakauye addressed the related matter of funding for the State Bar of California. In October and November 2016, a legislative stalemate led to a compromise budget for the Bar.

Civil discourse education

In 2012, Cantil-Sakauye launched an initiative, called "Power of Democracy," to support civil discourse education for students, and to emphasize the importance of jury trials as a matter of civics.

Immigration agents at courthouses

In March 2017, Cantil-Sakauye cautioned about the unintended consequences of arrests of undocumented immigrants by federal agents at California state courthouses. She has stated her concern that victims of crime will avoid the police and testifying in trials if they fear arrest at the courthouse. This would undermine the law enforcement goal of protecting communities, a view echoed by other judges and prosecutors.

Personal life

In 1994, she married Mark Sakauye, a retired Sacramento Police Department Lieutenant. They have two daughters.

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