A major change is coming to California’s third branch of government.
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye announced last week that she would step down in January after 12 years at the helm of the state’s Supreme Court. Cantil-Sakauye is a moderate who led the court through severe budget cuts after the Great Recession. She is also known for encouraging collaboration among the bench.
Cantil-Sakauye, the daughter of farmworkers was raised in Sacramento. She then attended U.C. Davis and its law schools. After two decades of service as a judge, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed them to the high court, where they began their service in 2011. She was the first person of color and the second woman to be appointed chief justice.
Cantil–Sakauye fought for cash bail to be abolished and criticized Trump’s administration for allowing federal immigration officials to arrest in California courthouses. Cantil-Sakauye, who was concerned about political polarization and her Republican Party affiliation in 2018, publicly renounced her Republican Party affiliation after the U.S Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Cantilakauye, 62 years old, spoke to me recently about her career, and her decision to retire. We also talked about what’s been happening at the U.S. Supreme Court, including the leak of the draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and what’s next for her and California’s judicial system.
Here’s our conversation, lightly edited for clarity and space:
You’ve said you’re choosing to retire now because you’re proud of what you’ve accomplished on the court. What are your proudest achievements? Is it a specific case?
I look back with warmth and pride that the Supreme Court in the last 12 years has brought on five new justices — five people who were basically strangers to each other. And we’ve come together. We trust each other and share our ideas. And we evolve together, we learn — I learn from my colleagues.
So I’m proud that we have been able to maintain that civility and trust over the decades. It’s not any particular case. It’s our way we approach all cases, which has made working with them such a joy, and very hard to leave.
This spirit of compromise on the bench is especially impressive given the divisions on the U.S. Supreme Court. How are you able to maintain this collegiality.
Five of the seven members of our court currently serve as judges. They were appointed by Democrats. Jerry Brown and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Governor Schwarzenegger also appointed two of us. And we’re pretty diverse —ethnically, gender, age-wise and experience.
But we have a vetting procedure that truly identifies the individual, in terms their ability to serve on a court-of-review and work collaboratively with others.
You identify as centrist. Do you think that having a moderate chief judge has helped to achieve consensus?
I think it doesn’t hurt. My colleagues will also say that they understand their role in guiding and clarifying the law for the lower courts, practitioners and the general public. So we may start off, for example, with a broad opinion, but as we each weigh in we start to narrow it because we realize we don’t need to speak so broadly. I believe our focus is more on California law clarification and guidance. That is what makes us able to come to an agreement.
What was your reaction to the leak of the draft decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which revealed that Roe v. Wade could be overturned? Did you feel the need secure drafts in your own court?
It was quite shocking. It was shocking. We have not changed any aspect of our practice or procedures. We didn’t think that could happen in our court. We also remarked on how, oh my goodness. This is not good news for the court’s confidence and the development robust ideas.
Do you have a list of people you would like to replace you? Or do you prefer their political ideology? Would you choose another centrist?
I have, of course, people in mind if I were asked, and it’s not based on their centrism but more that they have skills — people skills and legal skills and administrative skills and management skills — and as a result, I think they’ll be open to this collaborative effort that was created in California to govern our judiciary.
Newsom has asked you for your assistance in choosing your replacement.
He has not.
Do you know what you’re going to do come January?
I don’t know. I think that’s probably a part of my anxiety — I’ve always known what I was going to be doing in the next January.
Recently, you said in an interview that politics was not your passion. Is this still true?
That’s still true, if not stronger than ever.
Let’s finish by asking you what the most pressing challenges are facing state courts right now.
The threat of sustainable funding. We are a third branch of government, but we lobby for our budget in the same way as any other entity that’s state-funded. We don’t have a say in the budget process except to make the ask.
Our budget was cut by billions when I started this work as chief judge. We were closing courtshouses. We were closing services. We were on furlough. As an appellate justice, I worked unpaid to keep our doors open. Our existence depends on the civic understanding of both the legislative and executive branches. And I think that’s always a threat.
What you get
For $2.7 million: An English country home in Carmel Valley, a 1923 farmhouse at Laurel Canyon, and a three-bedroom retreat just blocks from Oceanside’s beach.
Where we’re traveling
Today’s tip comes from Susan Weikel Morrison, who recommends a trip in Mendocino County:
“Noyo Harbor, just south of Fort Bragg, is so utterly lovely and sublime. It’s at the mouth of the Noyo River — with all the North Coast beauty and character but without the crowds of the more popular places.
The main hustle is on the water. There are small pleasure yachts and pleasure boats that pass by, as well occasional canoes or Coast Guard cutters. You can either rent the canoes or paddle your way, or take a small tour boat to see the harbor and sea.
There are many picturesque restaurants that offer great food and stunning views of the harbor. Most of these restaurants serve locals. There are also a few marine service shops that make it clear that this area is primarily a working harbor, not a tourist destination.
If you follow the street past the businesses, you’ll come to the harbor entrance, where you can enjoy walking the beach, fishing from the pier, and the luscious sunsets over the ocean.”
We would love to hear about your favorite places in California.Send your suggestions and ideas to [email protected] We’ll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.
Here are some good news before you go
Trevor Rainbolt, a 23-year-old online video producer in Los Angeles, is one of the world’s greatest GeoGuessr players.
If you’re unfamiliar with the game, the premise is simple: As you stare at a computer or phone, you’re plopped down somewhere in the world in Google Street View and must guess, as quickly as you can, exactly where you are. You can click to move down roads or through cities, searching for landmarks and language. The closer you are to guessing, the more points that you get.
Rainbolt is one of a few elite people who can instantly identify whether a street that looks ordinary is in Lake Tahoe, Siberia or Japan. “It’s like a magician,” he said. “To the magician, the trick is easy, but to everyone else, it’s a lot harder.”
Read the full article here
