First minority sworn in as California chief justice

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday swore in California's next chief justice, who will be the first minority and second woman to lead the state's high court.

Schwarzenegger administered the oath of office for appellate court judge Tani Cantil-Sakauye during a swearing-in ceremony in the rotunda of the state Capitol. The governor called her a "fine and highly admired jurist" and cited her as an example of the American dream.

After the oath, Cantil-Sakauye, 50, said she's prepared for the "vertical climb" ahead of her when she assumes office Jan. 3. She replaces Chief Justice Ronald George, who is retiring after 14 years.

"I'm fully aware of the monumental, indescribable challenge ahead of me," she said. "I also am aware that I am prepared to happily dedicate myself to this task."

In thanking her family, friends and colleagues, the Sacramento native said the ceremony has special meaning for her. She recalled visiting the state park surrounding the Capitol on Sundays after church with her family.

"It never dawned on us to actually enter the building, we were happy to be near it in the park," she said. "Now, here we are inside, sitting in the front row."

Schwarzenegger nominated Cantil-Sakauye in July and she was confirmed by the three-member Commission on Judicial Appointments in August. California voters confirmed her to a 12-year term last month.

Cantil-Sakauye becomes the first Filipina-American to become chief justice and just the second woman to serve in the post after Rose Bird, who voters ousted from the Supreme Court in 1986.

Cantil-Sakauye has served on the 3rd District Court of Appeal since Schwarzenegger appointed her to the Sacramento-based court in 2005. Before becoming a judge at age 30 in 1990, she worked as Gov. George Deukmejian's deputy legal affairs secretary and as a deputy legislative secretary.

For the past two years, she has served on the Judicial Council, a 28-member board that controls the judiciary's $4 billion annual budget and sets policy for the state's 1,700 judges.

George said Cantil-Sakauye is well qualified to lead the nation's largest court system.

"She has a unique blend of experience in all three branches of government, executive, legislative and judicial, which make her so well suited to assume these important duties," said the retiring chief justice.

Cantil-Sakauye was joined on stage by her husband, Mark Sakauye, who recently retired from the Sacramento Police Department as a police lieutenant; their daughters, Hana, 14, and Clare, 12; and her mother, Mary Cantil.