Effectively starting from August 1, Tanya Sue Chutkan is presiding over the criminal trial of former US President Donald J. Trump, in connection with the events leading up to the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Chutkan is a Jamaican-American immigrant from Washington, D.C. as a jurist and lawyer. She has served as a United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia since 2014.
Judge Chutkan’s Jamaican Origin
Jamaica, Chutkan born on July 5, 1962 in Kingston, she continued her education at George Washington University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983. She then graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree in 1987.
Chutkan’s Notable Legal Career
In her early career, Chutkan worked at prestigious law firms including Hogan & Hartson LLP (now Hogan Lovells) from 1987 to 1990 and Donovan, Leisure, Rogovin, Huge & Schiller from 1990 to 1991.
From 1991 to 2002, Chutkan was general counsel and supervisor at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. She then became a partner at the renowned law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner, where she specialized in complex civil cases, especially antitrust class action lawsuits.
Appointment of former President Obama
Recognizing her strong legal acumen and experience, President Barack Obama appointed Chutkan as a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on December 19, 2013. After a hearing before the Commission The US Senate Judiciary on February 25, 2014, her nomination was returned from the committee on March 27, 2014, by a voice vote.
The United States Senate invoked the closing of her nomination on June 3, 2014, by a vote of 54–40, and the next day, June 4, 2014, her nomination was confirmed by a vote of no. 95–0 unanimous vote. On June 5, 2014, she received her judicial commission.
Chutkan has been involved in various prominent hearing throughout her career . She ruled against Resource.Org.Public in a lawsuit initiated by several organizations in February 2017, ordering the removal of building and fire code that they considered the copyrighted property.
In addition, Chutkan has ruled against the US Department of Education and the US Department of Justice in different cases. She rejected former President Donald Trump’s call to withhold the records of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and her rulings were upheld by the Supreme Court. and D.C. Circuit
Chutkan’s Family of Lawyers
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Chutkan also has family connections to the legal world. Her husband Peter A Krauthamer, was a judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 2012 to 2023. they together have two sons.
With her Jamaican heritage, legal expertise, and dedication to public service, Tanya Sue Chutkan has established herself as a respected judge overseeing significant cases before the United States District Court for the District Columbia, including prominent hearing involving former President Donald J. Trump.
