Jamal Whitehead

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Jamal Whitehead

| honorific-suffix =

| image = JNW US District Court WAWD-45090-4x5-3000px.jpg

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| office = Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

| term_start = March 14, 2023

| term_end =

| appointer = Joe Biden

| predecessor = Richard A. Jones

| successor =

| pronunciation =

| birth_name = Jamal Norman Whitehead

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1979}}

| birth_place = Turnersville, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date =

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| education = University of Washington (BA)
Seattle University (JD)

}}

Jamal Norman Whitehead (born 1979){{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Whitehead%20SJQ%20Public%20Final.pdf|title=Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|accessdate=September 19, 2022}} is an American lawyer who is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.

Early life and education

Whitehead was born in the Turnersville section of Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Washington in 2004 and a Juris Doctor from the Seattle University School of Law in 2007.{{Cite web |title=Jamal Whitehead {{!}} Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, Seattle Law Firm & Trial Lawyers |url=https://sgb-law.com/our-team/jamal-whitehead |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=sgb-law.com}}

Career

From 2007 to 2010, Whitehead worked as an attorney at Garvey Schubert Barer in Seattle. From 2010 to 2014, he served as a senior trial attorney in the Seattle office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. From 2014 to 2016, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington. From 2016 to 2023, he was a shareholder at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender in Seattle.{{Cite web|date=July 13, 2022|title=President Biden Names Twenty-Second Round of Judicial Nominees|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/13/president-biden-names-twenty-second-round-of-judicial-nominees/|access-date=July 13, 2022 |website=The White House|language=en-US}}{{PD-notice}} Whitehead is a past president of the Loren Miller Bar Association, Washington's oldest and largest minority bar.{{cite news |last1=Sheppard |first1=Cameron |title=King County Council OKs millions for courts overwhelmed by pandemic backlog |url=https://www.auburn-reporter.com/news/king-county-council-oks-millions-for-courts-overwhelmed-by-pandemic-backlog/ |access-date=30 September 2022 |work=Auburn Reporter |date=1 August 2021}}

= Notable cases =

In 2018, Whitehead served as co-counsel for a disabled car dealership employee after he was fired by Mercedes-Benz of Seattle when he began using a prosthetic voice box to speak. Whitehead tried the case to verdict before a federal jury, which returned a $5 million verdict in his client's favor.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-11 |title=Federal jury awarded $5 million to man fired from Mercedes-Benz of Seattle after cancer surgery |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/federal-jury-awarded-5-million-to-man-fired-from-mercedes-benz-of-seattle-after-cancer-surgery/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=First Biden Judge With Disclosed Disability to Join Trial Court |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/first-biden-judge-with-disclosed-disability-to-join-trial-court |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}} The car dealership appealed the verdict, and Whitehead successfully argued the case before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.{{Citation |title=Jamal Whitehead - Attorney, Schroeter Goldmark and Bender - Ninth Circuit Oral Argument | date=22 January 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axnv96gXo1E |access-date=2023-03-04 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=E |first=Rachel |title=Judge With Disclosed Disability Appointed to Trial Court by Joe Biden {{!}} JDJournal |url=https://www.jdjournal.com/2023/03/01/judge-with-disclosed-disability-appointed-to-trial-court-by-joe-biden/ |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=www.jdjournal.com |date=March 2023 |language=en-US}} The Court would later affirm the trial court's judgment.{{Cite web |title=NOT FOR PUBLICATIONUNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALSFOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT |url=https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/TroyCoachmanvSeattleAutoManagementetalDocketNo18358819thCirOct192/1?doc_id=X2FQVPC2UO29VV8O2LS39A7K2LI |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=www.bloomberglaw.com}}

In 2021, Whitehead represented private plaintiffs when they sued a private prison, GEO Group, for paying incarcerated ICE detainees $1 a day in its work program. The Court appointed Whitehead as class counsel for over 10,000 detained persons seeking back wages. The state of Washington stated the company must pay detainees the state minimum wage, just as other private corporations doing contract work with the state are required to.{{cite web | url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1365528/ice-contractor-trial-over-dollar-a-day-wages-set-for-june | title=ICE Contractor Trial over Dollar-A-Day Wages Set for June - Law360 }} After a three-week trial, a federal jury returned a verdict of $17.3 million to the class of workers.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-29 |title=Jury awards $17.3 million to immigrants held in Washington state for work performed at detention center |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/jury-awards-17-3-million-to-immigrants-held-in-washington-state-for-work-performed-in-detention-center/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last1=Wiessner |first1=Daniel |date=2021-12-09 |title=GEO Group can't nix $17.3 mln award in $1-a-day detainee pay case |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/geo-group-cant-nix-173-mln-award-1-a-day-detainee-pay-case-2021-12-09/ |access-date=2023-05-10}}

Federal judicial service

On July 13, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Whitehead to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. President Biden nominated Whitehead to the seat vacated by Judge Richard A. Jones, who subsequently assumed senior status on September 5, 2022.{{Cite press release|title=Nominations Sent to the Senate|date=July 13, 2022|publisher=The White House|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/13/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-74/}} On September 21, 2022, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.{{Cite web |title=Nominations |date=September 21, 2022 |publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/09/21/2022/nominations}} On December 1, 2022, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.{{cite web |url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/EBM%20Results%20-%202022-12-011.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 1, 2022|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary |accessdate=December 1, 2022}} On January 3, 2023, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate; he was renominated later the same day.{{Cite press release|title=Nominations Sent to the Senate|date=January 3, 2023|publisher=The White House|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/03/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-91/}} On February 2, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–9 vote.{{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/EBM%20Results%20-%202023-02-021.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 2, 2023|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|accessdate=February 2, 2023}} On February 28, 2023, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 51–43 vote.{{Cite web|date=February 28, 2023|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Jamal N. Whitehead to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Washington)|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00027.htm|access-date=February 28, 2023|website=United States Senate}} Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 51–43 vote.{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00028.htm|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: Jamal N. Whitehead, of Washington, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Washington)|website=United States Senate|date=February 28, 2023|access-date=February 28, 2023}} He received his judicial commission on March 14, 2023.{{FJC Bio|nid=13328851|inline=yes}} He was sworn in on April 4, 2023.{{Cite web|date=June 14, 2023|title=Welcome to District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead|url=https://www.wawd.uscourts.gov/news/welcome-district-judge-jamal-n-whitehead|website=wawd.uscourts.gov|access-date=June 22, 2023}}

= Notable cases =

On February 25, 2025, Whitehead issued a preliminary injunction against Executive Order 14163, which would indefinitely suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Gene | url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-refugee-seattle-ruling-lawsuit-eef485154e2a3f008a01d6790ce0ee06 | title=A federal judge in Seattle blocks Trump’s effort to halt the refugee admissions system | website=The Associated Press | date=February 25, 2025 |access-date=February 25, 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Grumbach |first1=Gary |last2=Gregorian |first2=Dareh | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/judge-blocks-trump-order-paused-refugee-admissions-rcna193709 | title=Judge blocks Trump order that paused refugee admissions | website=NBC News | date=February 25, 2025 |access-date=February 25, 2025}} While conceding the broad discretion of the President in limiting refugee admissions, Whitehead ruled that the extent of the limitations - that being setting the annual refugee admission goal to zero - overstepped both the President's authority and congressional refugee frameworks.{{cite web |last1=Yoon-Hendricks |first1=Alexandra | url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-judge-blocks-trumps-refugee-ban/ | title=Seattle judge blocks Trump’s refugee ban | website=The Seattle Times | date=February 25, 2025 |access-date=February 25, 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Raymond |first1=Nate | url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-judge-blocks-trumps-indefinite-suspension-refugee-resettlement-program-2025-02-25/ | title=US judge blocks Trump's indefinite suspension of refugee resettlement program | website=Reuters | date=February 25, 2025 |access-date=February 25, 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Cheney |first1=Kyle |last2=Gerstein |first2=Josh | url=https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/25/trump-refugee-executive-order-injunction-federal-judge-00206016 | title=Judge blocks Trump’s executive order suspending refugee admissions to the US | website=Politico | date=February 25, 2025 |access-date=February 25, 2025}} In doing so, Whitehead contended that the order stood in violation of both the Refugee Act of 1980 and the Administrative Procedure Act, which respectively laid out the refugee admissions process and required a period of public comment to be issued.{{cite web |last1=Merrill |first1=Monique |last2=Leon Barrionuevo |first2=Kendra | url=https://www.courthousenews.com/federal-judge-blocks-trump-order-suspending-refugee-admissions/ | title=Federal judge blocks Trump order suspending refugee admissions | website=Courthouse News Service | date=February 25, 2025 |access-date=February 25, 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Habeshian |first1=Sareen | url=https://www.axios.com/2025/02/25/trump-refugee-program-judge | title=Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump's effort to nix refugee program | website=Axios | date=February 25, 2025 |access-date=February 25, 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Goldstein-Street |first1=Jake | url=https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/02/25/federal-judge-in-seattle-blocks-trumps-refugee-ban/ | title=Federal judge in Seattle blocks Trump’s refugee ban | website=Washington State Standard | date=February 25, 2025 |access-date=February 25, 2025}}

Personal life

During her introduction in front of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, senator Patty Murray said that Whitehead was the first judicial nominee by President Joe Biden to have a physical disability (he uses a prosthetic leg).{{cite web |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19951114&slug=2152420 |title=Battling Bias, They Learn from Anne Frank |work=Seattle Times}}{{cite web |last=Alexander |first=Ayanna |last2=Alder |first2=Madison |date=October 7, 2022 |title=Judge Pick with Disability Raises Hopes for a Group Often Unseen |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/social-justice/judge-pick-with-disability-shows-biden-push-to-diversify-bench?usertype=External&bwid=00000183-a8dc-d0f5-ab93-eefcb56e0001&qid=7365212&cti=&uc=&et=NEWSLETTER&emc=blnw_nl%3A21&source=newsletter&item=body-link®ion=text-section&access-ticket=eyJjdHh0IjoiU0pOVyIsImlkIjoiMDAwMDAxODMtYThkYy1kMGY1LWFiOTMtZWVmY2I1NmUwMDAxIiwic2lnIjoidFhMdUZQcENIZXh4a2s2bGMzd21xb1NUR3FZPSIsInRpbWUiOiIxNjY1MTY2OTEzIiwidXVpZCI6IjU4Z3RsckM0TjhyelY4WXRrOXVjNlE9PU9NZXN3V2w0SGtGL1BMR04zRXlxUXc9PSIsInYiOiIxIn0%3D |website=Bloomberg Law}}