Martin Jenkins

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Martin Jenkins

|image = Justice jenkins bio page.jpg

|office = Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California

|appointer = Gavin Newsom

|term_start = December 4, 2020

|term_end =

|predecessor = Ming W. Chin

|successor =

|office1 = Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal
from the 1st district

|appointer1 = Arnold Schwarzenegger

|term_start1 = April 4, 2008

|term_end1 = January 15, 2019

|predecessor1 = Joanne Parrilli

|successor1 = Teri Jackson

|office2 = Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California

|appointer2 = Bill Clinton

|term_start2 = November 12, 1997

|term_end2 = April 3, 2008

|predecessor2 = Eugene F. Lynch

|successor2 = Edward M. Chen

|birth_name = Martin Joseph Jenkins

|birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1953|11|12}}}}

|birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|education = City College of San Francisco (AA)
Santa Clara University (BA)
University of San Francisco (JD)

}}

Martin Joseph Jenkins (born November 12, 1953) is an American attorney and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California. He was previously a justice of the California Court of Appeal for the First District, located in San Francisco, and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.{{Citation|last=Harris|first=Bruce|chapter=Judicial Activism and New Zealand's Appellate Courts|date=2007-12-13|pages=273–322|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199213290|doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199213290.003.0007|title=Judicial Activism in Common Law Supreme Courts}}

Early life and education

Jenkins was born in San Francisco and raised in the neighborhood of Ingleside.Harriet Chiang, [https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Wal-Mart-judge-praised-for-compassion-diligence-2711737.php Wal-Mart judge praised for compassion, diligence], San Francisco Chronicle (June 23, 2004). He earned an Associate of Arts degree from City College of San Francisco, then graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/8609/ Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Martin Jenkins to First District Court of Appeal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008220828/http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/8609/ |date=2010-10-08 }}, Press Release: Office of the Governor (January 28, 2008).{{Cite web|url=http://www.metnews.com/articles/2008/jenk040708.htm|title=Commission Confirms Judge Martin Jenkins as Court of Appeal Justice|date=2008-04-07|website=Metropolitan News-Enterprise|access-date=2016-04-19|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175847/http://www.metnews.com/articles/2008/jenk040708.htm|url-status=live}} Jenkins played on the Santa Clara Broncos football team at defensive back.{{cite web|last1=McKee|first1=Mike|title=Martin Jenkins|url=http://www.therecorder.com/id=1202433969369/Martin-Jenkins?slreturn=20150604002948|website=The Recorder|accessdate=July 3, 2015|date=September 21, 2009}} After college, Jenkins briefly played professional football for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Jenkins then attended the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor with honors.

Career

Jenkins was a law clerk in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, California, from 1980 to 1981, and then a deputy district attorney (prosecutor) in that same office from 1981 to 1983.{{cite web|url=https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/jenkins-martin-j.|title=Jenkins, Martin J. - Federal Judicial Center|website=www.fjc.gov|access-date=2017-05-08|archive-date=2020-10-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005194148/https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/jenkins-martin-j|url-status=live}}[http://www.metnews.com/articles/2008/jenk040708.htm Commission Confirms Judge Martin Jenkins as Court of Appeal Justice] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224150953/http://www.metnews.com/articles/2008/jenk040708.htm |date=2012-02-24 }}, Metropolitan News-Enterprise (April 7, 2008). and for the United States Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division from 1983 to 1985. In 1985, Jenkins moved back to the Bay Area when his mother became ill, then served as in-house counsel for Pacific Bell for four years. He served as the Judicial Appointments Secretary for California Governor Gavin Newsom from January 14, 2019, to December 4, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.ca.gov/2019/01/14/legal-affairs-staff/|title=Governor Newsom Appoints Judicial Appointments Secretary and Legal Affairs Staff|publisher=Governor of California|date=January 14, 2019|access-date=October 5, 2020|archive-date=August 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818190647/https://www.gov.ca.gov/2019/01/14/legal-affairs-staff/|url-status=live}}

=Judicial service=

A Democrat,Howard Mintz, [http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15595287 Schwarzenegger defies stereotypes, party labels in shaping California judiciary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316082143/http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15595287 |date=2012-03-16 }}, Contra Costa Times (July 24, 2010). Jenkins was appointed to the Alameda County Municipal Court by Republican Governor George Deukmejian in 1989. In 1992, Republican Governor Pete Wilson appointed him to the Alameda County Superior Court, where he served until 1997.

Jenkins was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on July 24, 1997, to a seat vacated by Eugene F. Lynch. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 9, 1997, and received commission on November 12, 1997. His contribution to federal law includes the Jenkins-Laporte Doctrine, which defines the boundary of copyright and contractual rights in the licensing of digital works.[https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2021/02/-california-supreme-court-judge-martin-jenkins-to-receive-stonew/ California Supreme Court Judge Martin Jenkins to receive Stonewall Award], The American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (February 4, 2021).

In August 2007, Jenkins asked Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to consider him for a seat on the California Court of Appeal.Bob Egelko, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/25/BA9AUM7C5.DTL Federal judge nominated to state appeals court], San Francisco Chronicle (January 26, 2008). On January 25, 2008, Schwarzenegger nominated Jenkins to fill the vacancy on the First District Court of Appeal created by the retirement of Justice Joanne C. Parrilli. Jenkins resigned from the federal bench on April 3 and was confirmed on the state bench on April 4, 2008.

On October 5, 2020, Governor Newsom announced that he would nominate Jenkins to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California, replacing Ming Chin, who retired on August 31, 2020. When confirmed, he became the first openly gay justice, the third African American man, and the fifth African American person to serve on the court.{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Newsom-nominates-Martin-Jenkins-to-California-15622688.php|title=Newsom nominates Martin Jenkins to California Supreme Court, where he would be first openly gay justice|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|last=Egelko|first=Bob|date=October 5, 2020}}

On November 11, 2020, Jenkins was confirmed as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California. The state's Commission on Judicial Appointments approved his nomination by a 3–0 vote.{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/California-confirms-first-openly-gay-state-15717428.php|title=California confirms first openly gay state Supreme Court justice — Martin Jenkins|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|last= Egelko|first=Bob|date=November 11, 2020}} On December 4, 2020, Jenkins was sworn in as the newest Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.{{cite press release |author= |title=Governor Newsom Swears in Justice Martin Jenkins to the California Supreme Court |url=https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/12/04/governor-newsom-swears-in-justice-martin-jenkins-to-the-california-supreme-court/ |location=Sacramento, California |agency=Governor of California |date=2020-12-04 |accessdate=2020-12-08}}

In 2022, Jenkins voted with a majority of the California Supreme Court in ordering University of California, Berkeley to cut its enrollment after a local NIMBY group argued that more students in the college town would have an adverse environmental impact.{{Cite web |last=Asimov |first=Nanette |last2=Egelko |first2=Bob |date=2022 |title=UC Berkeley must withhold thousands of acceptance letters after state Supreme Court ruling |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/UC-Berkeley-must-withhold-thousands-of-acceptance-16974853.php |website=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en-US}}

{{as of|2022|11|11|df=US}}, following the 2022 election, he was retained by California voters to continue to serve as an associate justice with 69.4% of an affirmative vote.{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2022 |title=State Supreme Court - Statewide Results |url=https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/supreme-court |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112190120/https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/supreme-court |archive-date=November 12, 2022 |access-date=November 29, 2022 |website=electionresults.sos.ca.gov}}

Personal life

Jenkins is Catholic and a member of the St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco.{{Cite web|last=Anonymous|date=2022-01-11|title=Black Catholics in Conversation: Martin Jenkins and Timothy Alan Simon on Faith, Community, and Justice|url=https://www.usfca.edu/event/2022-02-17-1730/black-catholics-conversation-martin-jenkins-and-timothy-alan-simon-faith|access-date=2022-02-05|website=University of San Francisco|language=en|archive-date=2022-02-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205131742/https://www.usfca.edu/event/2022-02-17-1730/black-catholics-conversation-martin-jenkins-and-timothy-alan-simon-faith|url-status=dead}} Jenkins is openly gay.{{cite news | url=https://calmatters.org/justice/2020/10/california-supreme-court-justice/ | title=Newsom's Supreme Court pick confirmed as state's first openly gay justice | newspaper=Calmatters | date=5 October 2020 | last1=Lyons | first1=Byrhonda }}