Tanya Chutkan is a Jamaican-born American lawyer but what is known about her parents? Who are her mother and father and does she have a sibling?
Although Donald Trump‘s indictment for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and his attempt to overturn the 2020 election wasn’t his first indictment, it might be the former president’s most significant. Following the news of the indictment, many people naturally wanted to scrutinize every aspect of the case, including the judge who will be overseeing the trial and guide the court proceedings.
The judge, in this case, is Tanya Chutkan, a district judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Because Chutkan isn’t a high-profile name, many want to learn more about her. Who are her parents? Here’s what we know.
Who are Tanya Chutkan’s parents?
Judge Tanya Chutkan was born on July 5, 1962, in Kingston, Jamaica to parents Mr. and Mrs. Chutkan who originally hail from Jamaica.
Her father and mother’s actual names are not unknown. Also, whether they are still alive and together remains publicly unclear.
She holds both Jamaican and American nationality.
There is also no information about whether she is an only child to her mom and dad or if she has either a sister and/or brother.
While born in Jamaica, she had her education in the United States. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 from George Washington University. She later attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was an associate editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. She graduated in 1987 with a Juris Doctor.
She was eventually appointed to her current position by President Barack Obama.
Chutkan’s appointment to this case was done based on an allotment system and wasn’t done because she or either legal team sought her out.
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES
What is Tanya Chutkan’s ethnicity?
Chutkan’s ethnicity is Jamaican American because she was born in America and has since become an American citizen. She can trace her lineage back to Jamaica, but has been in America for at least 30 years, and possibly longer, both while she was studying law and as she eventually became a judge. Given her years of experience on the bench, she seems ready to preside over one of the most high-profile criminal cases in the history of the country.
Tanya Chutkan has ruled on Trump cases before.
This isn’t Chutkan’s first intersection with the criminal investigations into Donald Trump. She denied Trump’s motion in 2021 to stop the National Archives from turning over the records from his administration to the Jan. 6 committee. She has also been responsible for trying a number of other people accused of involvement at various levels in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In those cases, Chutkan has tended to hand down harsher sentences than the sentencing guidelines allow for, emphasizing the need for severe consequences for those who took part in the insurrection.
“There have to be consequences for participating in an attempted violent overthrow of the government, beyond sitting at home,” she has said of the cases.
Tanya Chutkan is an Obama appointee.
Because federal judges are randomly appointed to handle various criminal cases, it was impossible to know who would be chosen to take on Trump’s case until the indictment was actually filed. In this case, the criminal case went to a judge appointed by Barack Obama.
It’s worth noting, though, Aileen Cannon is the judge in the Florida case involving Trump’s retention of classified documents. Cannon was appointed by Trump to the role she’s now in. So, while some may accuse the justice system of stacking the deck against Trump, there’s no reason to suspect that Chutkan will be anything but impartial in her rulings involving this case.