Cynthia Bashant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| Assumed office January 22, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Dana Sabraw |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| Assumed office May 8, 2014 | |
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Irma Elsa Gonzalez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cynthia Ann Bashant[1] (1960-03-18)March 18, 1960 (age 65) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic[2] |
| Education | Smith College (AB) UC Law, San Francisco (JD) |
Cynthia Ann Bashant (born March 18, 1960) is thechief United States district judge for theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California and former judge of theSan Diego County Superior Court.
Bashant was born in 1960 inSan Francisco.[3] She received anArtium Baccalaureus degree in 1982 fromSmith College and aJuris Doctor in 1986 from theUniversity of California, Hastings College of Law.[3][4]
Bashant began her career in private practice inSan Diego,[3] as an associate at MacDonald, Halsted & Laybourne from 1986 to 1988 and then as associate atBaker & McKenzie from 1988 to 1989, practicing civil litigation at both firms.[4] Bashant served as anassistant United States attorney in the Southern District of California from 1989 to 2000.[3][4] She served as deputy chief of narcotics from 1995 to 1997 and chief of border crimes from 1997 to 1998.[3] In these positions, Bashant prosecuted crimes involvingMexican drug cartels andmethamphetamine labs.[5]
From 2000 until 2014, Bashant served as a judge of theSan Diego County Superior Court, handling both criminal and juvenile matters. From 2009 to 2012, she was the presiding judge for the juvenile dependency and delinquency courts.[3][4]
On September 19, 2013, PresidentBarack Obama nominated Bashant to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, to the seat vacated by JudgeIrma Elsa Gonzalez, who assumedsenior status on March 29, 2013.[6] On January 16, 2014 her nomination was reported out of theSenate Judiciary Committee.[7] On April 11, 2014Senate Majority Leader Reid filed a motion to invokecloture on the nomination. On April 29, 2014 a vote on the motion to invokecloture on the nomination was agreed to by a 56–41 vote.[8] On April 30, 2014 the nomination was confirmed by a 94–0 vote.[9] She received her judicial commission on May 8, 2014.[3] She became the chief judge on January 22, 2025.[10]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California 2014–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California 2025–present | |
