Morgan Christen

Morgan Christen
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office January 11, 2012
Appointed by	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Andrew Kleinfeld
Associate Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court
In office April 5, 2009 – January 11, 2012
Appointed by	Sarah Palin
Preceded by	Warren Matthews
Succeeded by	Peter J. Maassen
Personal details
Born	Morgan Brenda Christen or Brenda June Christen[1] (1961-12-05) December 5, 1961 (age 59) Chehalis, Washington
Education	University of Washington (BA) Golden Gate University (JD)

Morgan Brenda Christen (born December 5, 1961) is a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Christen previously served on the Alaska Supreme Court after she had been appointed on March 4, 2009 by Governor Sarah Palin to replace outgoing Justice Warren Matthews.^[2] The United States Senate confirmed Christen on December 15, 2011 in a 95–3 vote. She received her commission on January 11, 2012.

Early life and education[]

Christen was born in Chehalis, Washington and graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor of arts degree in 1983 and the Golden Gate University School of Law with a juris doctor in 1986. She has been a resident of Anchorage, Alaska for 18 years.

Alaska state judicial service[]

Christen was one of two candidates recommended by the seven-member Alaska Judicial Council to replace Justice Warren Matthews on the Alaska Supreme Court.^[3] Christen was opposed by anti-abortion advocacy groups due to her service as a Planned Parenthood board member in the mid-1990s.^[2][3] Nonetheless, on March 4, 2009, Governor Sarah Palin selected Christen to fill the vacancy on the Alaska Supreme Court.^[3]

Federal judicial service[]

Christen as part of an all-women appellate panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments March 8, 2018 at the William K. Nakamura U.S. Courthouse in Seattle; other panel members included fellow Circuit Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson and Chief District Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal of the District Court for the District of Wyoming, sitting by designation.

In July 2010, Christen confirmed that the Obama White House was considering her to fill the vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit created when Judge Andrew Kleinfeld assumed senior status.^{[citation needed]}

On May 18, 2011, Obama nominated Christen to the seat on the Ninth Circuit vacated by Andrew Kleinfeld who assumed senior status on June 12, 2010.^[4] On September 8, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported her nomination to the Senate floor by voice vote. The Senate confirmed Christen in a 95–3 vote on December 15, 2011.^[5] She received her commission on January 11, 2012.^[6]

Notable cases[]

On July 9, 2019, Christen ruled that Riley Briones Jr. could not be given a life without parole sentence because he was only 17 when he committed his crime, and the sentence violated Miller v. Alabama.^[7]

On November 19, 2019, Christen concurred when the court granted relief to Vega-Anguiano. She noted that Vega-Anguiano could not have known that he needed to bring the errors of the reinstatement order (of his removal) to the agency's attention since his 1998 removal lacked a valid legal basis, and the reinstatement order was improper. The majority opinion was written by William A. Fletcher.^[8]

See also[]

• List of first women lawyers and judges in Alaska

References[]

External links[]

• Morgan Christen at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Morgan Christen at Ballotpedia