Frances Gatewood | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief Judge of theDistrict Court of Guam | |
| Assumed office October 30, 2006 | |
| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John Unpingco |
| Justice of theGuam Supreme Court | |
| In office February 8, 2002 – October 29, 2006 | |
| Appointed by | Carl Gutierrez |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Cruz |
| Succeeded by | Katherine Maraman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frances Marie Tydingco-Gatewood (1958-01-21)January 21, 1958 (age 67) Honolulu,Hawaii Territory, U.S. |
| Education | Marquette University (BA) University of Missouri, Kansas City (JD) |
Frances Marie Tydingco-Gatewood (born January 21, 1958) is an American attorney and jurist. She has served aschief judge of the federalDistrict Court of Guam since 2006, having been nominated by PresidentGeorge W. Bush. Prior to this, she served as an associate justice on theSupreme Court of Guam and as trial judge on the Superior Court of Guam.[1]
Tydingco-Gatewood was born on January 21, 1958, inHonolulu, Hawaii. She attendedGeorge Washington High School, inMangilao, Guam and obtained herBachelor of Arts in political science atMarquette University in 1980. She received herJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law in 1983.[2]
She began her legal career as a law clerk for Forest W. Hanna on the circuit court ofJackson County, Missouri, from 1983 to 1984.[1] In 1984, she became the first female Chamoru assistantAttorney General of Guam. She served as assistant attorney general in that office until 1988. She then worked with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office in Missouri as an assistant prosecutor from 1988 to 1990. While in the Missouri office,She was assigned to the Drug Team and Homicide Unit and served as the Trial Team Leader for the Sex Crimes Unit. Subsequently, she served as chief prosecutor for the District of Guam from 1990 to 1994 at the Office of the Attorney General.[3]
In 1994, she was appointed by GovernorJoseph F. Ada as a trial judge of the Superior Court of Guam.[4]
On September 1, 2001, she was appointed by GovernorCarl Gutierrez as an associate justice of theSupreme Court of Guam. She was sworn in on February 8, 2002[4] and served in that position until October 29, 2006.[1]
Tydingco-Gatewood was nominated as a United States district judge of theDistrict Court of Guam by PresidentGeorge W. Bush on April 25, 2006. She was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on August 3, 2006. Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood is only one of two judges in the entire federal judiciary who sits as both a district and bankruptcy judge.[5][6]
She was renominated on May 18, 2016, by PresidentBarack Obama to another ten-year term on the court. On January 3, 2017, her nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.[7] She is currently sitting as a "holdover" judge and awaiting potential reappointment. On November 8, 2024, PresidentJoe Biden announced his intention to nominate her for a new 10-year term.[8] Her nomination was not sent to the Senate before Biden left office.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Justice of theGuam Supreme Court 2002–2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by John Unpingco | Judge of theDistrict Court of Guam 2006–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
