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Shalina Kumar
2021 - Present
3
Shalina Kumar is a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was nominated by President Joe Biden (D) on July 13, 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 17, 2021, by a vote of 44-25.[1][2] Kumar was one of 235 Article III judges nominated by President Joe Biden (D) and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. To see a full list of judges appointed by Joe Biden, click here.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Prior to her nomination, Kumar was a judge for the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County, Michigan. She was appointed to the court by Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) on August 20, 2007, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gene Schnelz.[3] Kumar was elected to the court in 2008.[4][5]
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2021-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden
On July 13, 2021, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Kumar to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was confirmed by a 44-25 vote of the U.S. Senate on December 17, 2021. She received commission on December 21, 2021.[1]
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: Shalina Kumar |
| Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 157 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: July 13, 2021
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| ABA Rating: Well Qualified
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| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: October 6, 2021
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| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: October 28, 2021
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| Confirmed: December 17, 2021
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| Vote: 44-25
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Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Kumar by a vote of 44-25 on December 17, 2021.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Kumar confirmation vote (December 17, 2021) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
41 | 0 | 7 | ||||||
 Republican |
2 | 25 | 23 | ||||||
 Independent |
1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 44 | 25 | 31 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Kumar's nomination on October 6, 2021. The committee voted to advance Kumar's nomination to the full Senate on October 28, 2021.
Nomination
On June 30, 2021, President Joe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate Kumar to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.[2] The president officially nominated Kumar on July 13, 2021.[1]
Kumar was nominated to replace Judge Victoria Roberts, who assumed senior status on February 24, 2021.[2]
The American Bar Association rated Kumar as Well Qualified.[6] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Michigan Sixth Circuit Court (2007-2021)
2014 election
See also: Michigan judicial elections, 2014
Kumar ran for re-election to the 6th Circuit Court.
General: She was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.[5]
Biography
Education
Kumar received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1993 and her J.D. degree from the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law in 1996.[3][7]
Career
- 2021-present: Judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- 2007-2021: Judge, 6th Circuit Court
- 2004-2007: Associate attorney, Weiner & Cox P.L.C.
- 2000-2004: Associate attorney, Sommers, Schwartz, Silver & Schwartz P.C.
- 1997-2000: Attorney in private practice [7][3]
Awards and associations
- Member, Oakland County Bar Association
- Member, Michigan Association for Justice
- Member, Federal Bar Association [7]
About the court
| Eastern District of Michigan |
|---|
| Sixth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 15 |
| Judges: 14 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Stephen Murphy |
| Active judges: Terrence Berg, Susan DeClercq, Mark Goldsmith, Jonathan Grey, Frances Kay Behm, Shalina Kumar, Matthew Frederick Leitman, Judith Ellen Levy, Thomas Ludington, Brandy McMillion, Laurie Michelson, Stephen Murphy, Linda V. Parker, Robert White Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is one of 94 United States district courts. It was established by an act of Congress on December 24, 1863. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit based in downtown Cincinnati at the Potter A. Stewart Federal Courthouse and Building.
Jurisdiction
The Eastern District of Michigan has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The District Court is based in Detroit, with courthouses also located in Ann Arbor, Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron.
The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Michigan consists of all the following counties in the eastern part of the state of Michigan.
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
Noteworthy cases
Kumar sentences two men to life in prison
Kumar sentenced Tucker Cipriano, 21, and Mitchell Young, 20, to mandatory life in prison for the murder of Cipriano's father, Robert Cipriano. On April 16, 2012, both men entered the Cipriano home in search of money for drugs and attacked Robert Cipriano, his wife, and his son with aluminum baseball bats. Robert died during the attack and both his wife and son were severely injured. Two other children in the home escaped injury by hiding in the upstairs bedrooms. During the trial, Young and Cipriano accused each other of creating the plan. Young denied the crime, maintaining his innocence. Tucker Cipriano, who was adopted, asked for forgiveness and apologized to his siblings and the rest of the Cipriano family. Judge Kumar, while acknowledging Cipriano's abandonment by his birth mother, mental issues, and drug dependency, addressed him directly, stating: "Others fight through...[w]ith all the support you had, and all the love you had, you threw it away."[8][9]
Kumar's decision reversed on legislative recall
Although Judge Shalina Kumar determined that ballot language to recall state Rep. Marie Donigan (D) from office was unclear, a three-judge panel at the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in May 2008 that the language was clear enough to go before voters in November 2008. According to Crain's Detroit Business, "Donigan and House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, are among several legislators targeted for recall because they voted to increase the state income tax and a services tax or both in 2007 to help the state balance its budget."[10]
See also
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN802 — Shalina D. Kumar — The Judiciary," accessed July 14, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The White House, "President Biden Names Fifth Round of Judicial Nominees," June 30, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Michigan.gov: Former Governors, "Granholm Appoints Shalina Kumar Judge of 6th Circuit Court," August 20, 2007
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2008 Election Results: 6th Circuit," accessed December 18, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Michigan Secretary of State, "2014 Official Michigan Primary Candidate Listing," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ American Bar Association, "RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES 117TH CONGRESS," last updated September 13, 2021
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Oakland County, "Hon. Shalina Kumar," accessed December 18, 2014
- ↑ MLive.com, "Tucker Cipriano, Mitchell Young to spend life in prison for Farmington Hills baseball bat attack," July 25, 2013
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Tucker Cipriano gets emotional; Mitchell Young makes defiant speech at sentencing," July 24, 2013
- ↑ Crain's Detroit Business, "Recall drive wins round in court," May 19, 2008
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Victoria Roberts |
Eastern District of Michigan 2021-present Seat #14 |
Succeeded by: NA
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Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan
State courts:
Michigan Supreme Court • Michigan Court of Appeals • Michigan Circuit Court • Michigan Court of Claims • Michigan District Courts • Michigan Municipal Courts • Michigan Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in Michigan • Michigan judicial elections • Judicial selection in Michigan
