Tribal Court-State Court Forum

Purpose

The forum makes recommendations to the council for improving the administration of justice in all proceedings in which the authority to exercise jurisdiction by the state judicial branch and the tribal justice systems overlaps.

Date Established

December 2010

2024 Tribal Court Judge Nominations for the Tribal Court-State Court Forum

Under Rule 10.60 (d) (2) of the California Rules of Court, leaders of California tribes with tribal courts may nominate judges or justices from their court’s to serve on the Forum.

We are currently soliciting nominations to fill upcoming tribal court judge vacancies on the Tribal Court-State Court Forum. The deadline for submitting a nomination is March 20, 2024.

Key Projects of this advisory body are outlined in the annual agenda.

October 10, 2024 - Meeting (Open Meeting with Closed Session)

12:15 pm - 1:15 pm

Previous Meetings

The 31-member advisory committee is comprised of 14 tribal court judicial officers, appointed by their tribal leadership, representing over half of the courts currently operating in California; the director of the California Department of Social Services' Office of Tribal Affairs; the director of the California Attorney General's Office of Native American Affairs, the tribal advisor of the California Governor; and 14 state court judicial officers, including the chairs or their designees of the California Judicial Council’s Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee, Access and Fairness Advisory Committee, Civil and Small Claims Advisory Committee, Criminal Law Advisory Committee, Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee, and Traffic Advisory Committee, representatives of the local courts in counties where many of the tribal courts are situated, and a retired judge. The committee reports to the Executive and Planning Committee of the Judicial Council. The California Chief Justice appoints the state court judicial officers and non-judicial members. The current membership term runs until September 16, 2023.

Download the Committee Roster

Hon. Abby Abinanti, Co-chair (Yurok) Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribal Court
Hon. Joyce D. Hinrichs, Co-Chair Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Humboldt
Hon. April E. Attebury, (Karuk) Judge of the Karuk Tribal Court
Hon. Richard C. Blake, (Hoopa) Chief Judge of Redding Rancheria and Hoopa Valley Tribal Courts
Hon. Leonard P. Edwards (Ret.), Volunteer Mentor Judge, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California
Hon. Ana L. España, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego
Hon. Tara M. Flanagan, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
Mr. Christopher Haug, Research Attorney, Superior Court of California, County of Monterey
Hon. Joni T. Hiramoto, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
Hon. Winston Keh, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino
Hon. Lawrence C. King, Chief Judge of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians Tribal Court
Hon. Patricia Lenzi, (St. Regis Mohawk) Chief Judge of the Cedarville Rancheria of Northern Paiute Indians Tribal Court
Hon. Kristina B. Lindquist, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento
Hon. Devon L. Lomayesva, (Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel) Chief Judge of the Intertribal Court of Southern California
Ms. Merri Lopez-Keifer, (Luiseno) Director, Office of Native American Affairs, Office of Attorney General Rob Bonta
Hon. Nicholas J. Mazanec, Chief Judge of the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria Tribal Court
Hon. Dorothy R. McLaughlin, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside
Hon. April Olson, Judge of the Tolowa, Dee-ni’ Nation Tribal Court
Ms. Andrea N. Pella, Director, Prevention, Diversion & Re-Entry County of San Diego Public Safety Group
Hon. Stephen M. Place, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Inyo
Hon. Mark A. Ralphs, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado
Hon. Victorio L. Shaw, (Hoopa) Chief Judge of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Court
Ms. Christina E. Snider, (Pomo) Tribal Advisor of the Office of Governor, Gavin Newsom, and Executive Secretary of the Native American Heritage Commission
Hon. Dean T. Stout, Chief Judge of the Bishop Paiute Tribal Court
Hon. Alison M. Tucher, Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three
Ms. Stephanie Weldon, (Yurok) Director, Office of Tribal Affairs, California Department of Social Services, Sacramento California
Hon. Christine Williams, (Yurok) Chief Judge of the Wilton Rancheria Tribal Court
Hon. Joseph J. Wiseman, Judge of the San Manuel Tribal Court, Chief Judge of the Round Valley Indian Tribe, the Dry Creek Rancheria of Pomo Indians, and Tule River Tribe Tribal Courts

Information Technology Advisory Committee Liaison

Hon. Joseph J. Wiseman, Chief Judge of the Round Valley Indian Tribe, the Dry Creek Rancheria of Pomo Indians, and Tule River Tribe

Trial Court Presiding Judges and Court Executives Advisory Committees Liaison

Vacant

Judicial Council Staff to the Committee

Ms. Ann Gilmour, Attorney, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California
Ms. Amanda Morris, Administrative Coordinator, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California

Background
What began with a simple request by one tribal court judge for a meeting with the Chief Justice of the State of California has taken us to where we are today in California, the coming together of tribal court and state court leaders as equal partners to address areas of mutual concern. The first, historic meeting was held in December 2009 (see news release) and led to the establishment of the Tribal Court-State Court Forum (forum) in May 2010. In October 2013, the California Judicial Council adopted rule 10.60 of the California Rules of Court establishing the forum as a formal advisory committee. In adopting this rule, the Judicial Council added a Comment acknowledging that tribes are sovereign and citing statutory and case law recognizing tribes as distinct, independent political nations that retain inherent authority to establish their own form of government, including tribal justice systems.

Charge
The forum makes recommendations to the council for improving the administration of justice in all proceedings in which the authority to exercise jurisdiction by the state judicial branch and the tribal justice systems overlaps.

In addition to the duties described in rule 10.34, the forum:

Identifies issues of mutual importance to tribal and state justice systems, including those concerning the working relationship between tribal and state courts in California;
Makes recommendations relating to the recognition and enforcement of court orders that cross jurisdictional lines, the determination of jurisdiction for cases that might appear in either court system, and the sharing of services between jurisdictions;
Identifies, develops, and shares with tribal and state courts local rules of court, protocols, standing orders, and other agreements that promote tribal court–state court coordination and cooperation, the use of concurrent jurisdiction, and the transfer of cases between jurisdictions;
Recommends appropriate activities needed to support local tribal court–state court collaborations; and
Makes proposals to the Governing Committee of the Center for Judicial Education and Research on educational publications and programming for judges and judicial support staff.

October 10, 2024 - Meeting (Open Meeting with Closed Session)

12:15 pm - 1:15 pm

Previous Meetings

Download the Committee Roster

Hon. Abby Abinanti, Co-chair (Yurok) Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribal Court
Hon. Joyce D. Hinrichs, Co-Chair Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Humboldt
Hon. April E. Attebury, (Karuk) Judge of the Karuk Tribal Court
Hon. Richard C. Blake, (Hoopa) Chief Judge of Redding Rancheria and Hoopa Valley Tribal Courts
Hon. Leonard P. Edwards (Ret.), Volunteer Mentor Judge, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California
Hon. Ana L. España, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego
Hon. Tara M. Flanagan, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
Mr. Christopher Haug, Research Attorney, Superior Court of California, County of Monterey
Hon. Joni T. Hiramoto, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
Hon. Winston Keh, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino
Hon. Lawrence C. King, Chief Judge of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians Tribal Court
Hon. Patricia Lenzi, (St. Regis Mohawk) Chief Judge of the Cedarville Rancheria of Northern Paiute Indians Tribal Court
Hon. Kristina B. Lindquist, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento
Hon. Devon L. Lomayesva, (Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel) Chief Judge of the Intertribal Court of Southern California
Ms. Merri Lopez-Keifer, (Luiseno) Director, Office of Native American Affairs, Office of Attorney General Rob Bonta
Hon. Nicholas J. Mazanec, Chief Judge of the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria Tribal Court
Hon. Dorothy R. McLaughlin, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside
Hon. April Olson, Judge of the Tolowa, Dee-ni’ Nation Tribal Court
Ms. Andrea N. Pella, Director, Prevention, Diversion & Re-Entry County of San Diego Public Safety Group
Hon. Stephen M. Place, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Inyo
Hon. Mark A. Ralphs, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado
Hon. Victorio L. Shaw, (Hoopa) Chief Judge of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Court
Ms. Christina E. Snider, (Pomo) Tribal Advisor of the Office of Governor, Gavin Newsom, and Executive Secretary of the Native American Heritage Commission
Hon. Dean T. Stout, Chief Judge of the Bishop Paiute Tribal Court
Hon. Alison M. Tucher, Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three
Ms. Stephanie Weldon, (Yurok) Director, Office of Tribal Affairs, California Department of Social Services, Sacramento California
Hon. Christine Williams, (Yurok) Chief Judge of the Wilton Rancheria Tribal Court
Hon. Joseph J. Wiseman, Judge of the San Manuel Tribal Court, Chief Judge of the Round Valley Indian Tribe, the Dry Creek Rancheria of Pomo Indians, and Tule River Tribe Tribal Courts

Information Technology Advisory Committee Liaison

Hon. Joseph J. Wiseman, Chief Judge of the Round Valley Indian Tribe, the Dry Creek Rancheria of Pomo Indians, and Tule River Tribe

Trial Court Presiding Judges and Court Executives Advisory Committees Liaison

Vacant

Judicial Council Staff to the Committee

Ms. Ann Gilmour, Attorney, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California
Ms. Amanda Morris, Administrative Coordinator, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California

In addition to the duties described in rule 10.34, the forum:

Identifies issues of mutual importance to tribal and state justice systems, including those concerning the working relationship between tribal and state courts in California;
Makes recommendations relating to the recognition and enforcement of court orders that cross jurisdictional lines, the determination of jurisdiction for cases that might appear in either court system, and the sharing of services between jurisdictions;
Identifies, develops, and shares with tribal and state courts local rules of court, protocols, standing orders, and other agreements that promote tribal court–state court coordination and cooperation, the use of concurrent jurisdiction, and the transfer of cases between jurisdictions;
Recommends appropriate activities needed to support local tribal court–state court collaborations; and
Makes proposals to the Governing Committee of the Center for Judicial Education and Research on educational publications and programming for judges and judicial support staff.

Contact Information

Center for Families, Children & the Courts
Operations & Services
forum@jud.ca.gov

Tribal Court-State Court Forum

Purpose

Date Established

Meetings

Members

About

October 10, 2024 - Meeting (Open Meeting with Closed Session)

Previous Meetings

Information Technology Advisory Committee Liaison

Trial Court Presiding Judges and Court Executives Advisory Committees Liaison

Judicial Council Staff to the Committee

October 10, 2024 - Meeting (Open Meeting with Closed Session)

Previous Meetings

Information Technology Advisory Committee Liaison

Trial Court Presiding Judges and Court Executives Advisory Committees Liaison

Judicial Council Staff to the Committee

Contact Information