Joshua Kindred

Joshua Kindred
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska
In office
February 18, 2020 – July 8, 2024
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byRalph Beistline
Succeeded byvacant
Personal details
Born
Joshua Michael Kindred

1977 (age 47–48)
Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Alaska Anchorage (BA)
Willamette University (JD)

Joshua Michael Kindred (born 1977)[1] is an American lawyer and former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. He served on the court from 2020 to 2024. He resigned after being accused of sexual misconduct.[2]

Education

Kindred graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts. He then attended the Willamette University College of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the Willamette Law Review. He graduated in 2005 with a Juris Doctor degree.[3]

Career

After law school, Kindred served as a law clerk to chief justice Paul De Muniz of the Oregon Supreme Court from 2005 to 2007. He was in private practice with the Seattle-based law firm Lane Powell from 2007 to 2008. From 2008 to 2013, Kindred served as an assistant district attorney and violent unit supervisor for Alaska. He was environmental counsel to the Alaska Oil and Gas Association from 2013 to 2018, and from 2018 to 2020 he was the regional solicitor for the United States Department of the Interior's Alaska Region.[3]

Federal judicial service

On October 16, 2019, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Kindred to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. On November 21, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Kindred to the seat vacated by Judge Ralph Beistline, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2015.[4] A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on December 4, 2019.[5]

Alaska's Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski praised Kindred’s nomination.[6] On January 3, 2020, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[7] Later that day, he was re-nominated to the same seat.[8] On January 16, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[9] On February 11, 2020, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 52–41 vote.[10] On February 12, 2020, his nomination was confirmed by a 54–41 vote.[11] He received his judicial commission on February 18, 2020.[12]

Kindred resigned on July 8, 2024.[12] On the day of his resignation, the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit released a report finding that Kindred had engaged in judicial misconduct by creating a sexually hostile workplace environment for clerks employed in his chambers, by having an inappropriate sexualized relationship with a clerk during and after her time working for Kindred, and for having "deliberately lied" to investigators. The Council stated that Kindred was asked to voluntarily resign and he did so.[13][14] On September 12, 2024, the Judicial Conference of the United States referred Kindred to the United States House of Representatives for impeachment, despite Kindred's resignation.[15] An impeachment and subsequent conviction would bar Kindred from holding office in the future.[16] The Judicial Conference of the United States described Kindred's behavior as "reprehensible," and stated that it was so severe it warranted review by the United States Congress.[16]

Personal life

In October 2013, Kindred married lawyer Talitha "Tali" Birch, daughter of Alaska politician Chris Birch.[17] They have two children. They divorced in 2023.

References

  1. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Joshua Kindred
  2. ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/07/08/alaska-judge-joshua-kindred-resign-misconduct/
  3. ^ a b "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees" White House, October 16, 2019 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ "Nine Nominations Sent to the Senate Today", White House, November 21, 2019
  5. ^ Nominations for December 4, 2019
  6. ^ Downing, Suzanne (17 October 2019). "Trump to nominate Josh Kindred to US District Court". Must Read Alaska. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  7. ^ "PN1301 - Nomination of Joshua M. Kindred for The Judiciary, 116th Congress (2019–2020)". www.congress.gov. January 3, 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  8. ^ "Four Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 3, 2020
  9. ^ Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 16, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee
  10. ^ "On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture: Joshua M. Kindred to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Alaska". www.senate.gov. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  11. ^ "On the Nomination: Confirmation: Joshua M. Kindred, of Alaska, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Alaska". www.senate.gov. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Joshua Kindred at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  13. ^ "Judicial Conduct and Disability Complaint Number 22-90121, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, July 8, 2024
  14. ^ Raji, Tobi (July 9, 2024). "Trump-appointed judge in Alaska resigns over sexual misconduct". Washington Post. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  15. ^ Raymond, Nate (September 12, 2024). "Judiciary refers ex-Alaska judge to US House for potential impeachment". Reuters. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Raymond, Nate (September 20, 2024). "US judiciary referred ex-Alaska judge for impeachment based on 'reprehensible' conduct". Reuters. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  17. ^ Gardner, Darrel J. (2021). "Judicial Profile: Hon. Joshua M. Kindred U.S. District Judge, District of Alaska" (PDF). Federal Bar Association. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska
2020–2024 		Vacant