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American judge with Indian roots Tanya Chutkan tasked with key decision in Trump case
She will determine which of Donald Trump's actions in the 2020 election interference case were official and which were private.
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Tanya Chutkan was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2014. / X/@uscourts
Tanya Chutkan, an American judge with roots in India and Jamaica, is presiding over the election interference case against former US President Donald Trump. Chutkan has been tasked by the US Supreme Court to determine which of Trump’s actions in the case were official and which were private.
Chutkan must also analyze Trump's public statements to his supporters before their Jan.6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
"The immediate job that Judge Chutkan has is to clarify what can go to trial and what can't," said Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge and executive director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, as quoted by Reuters.
But who is Chutkan?
Chutkan was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2014. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she earned her B.A. in Economics from George Washington University and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. During her time at Penn Law, she served as an Associate Editor of the Law Review and also worked as a Legal Writing Fellow.
Chutkan, appointed by former President Obama and with a background as a public defender, is recognized for her firm rulings in federal cases concerning the Jan.6 Capitol riots involving Trump supporters accused of disrupting the 2020 election results.
In 2021, Judge Chutkan famously blocked former President Trump's attempts to prevent a Congressional committee from obtaining extensive records from his administration's time in the White House, asserting, "Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not president."
According to a tally by The Washington Post, Judge Chutkan has sentenced each of the 31 defendants who appeared before her to some form of imprisonment. She has been notably straightforward in delivering substantial sentences during these proceedings.
Chutkan’s Indian connection
Chutkan was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1962. Her father, Winston Chutkan, was a prominent orthopedic surgeon in Jamaica and known for his work with local athletes. Her mother is of Afro-Jamaican descent.
After graduating from law school, Chutkan spent three years in private practice before joining the District of Columbia Public Defender Service (PDS). At PDS, she served as a trial attorney and supervisor, handling a wide range of cases including serious felony matters. During her tenure, she argued several appellate cases and tried over 30 cases in court.
After eleven years at PDS, Chutkan transitioned to Boies, Schiller, & Flexner LLP, where she worked for 12 years specializing in litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Her clients at the firm included plaintiffs in antitrust class actions and individual and corporate defendants involved in complex state and federal litigation.
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