Martin Jenkins used to play professional football for the Seattle Seahawks. After that, he entered into a career of politics and law, serving as a prosecutor and judge. He now serves under California Governor Gavin Newsom as the Judicial Appointments Secretary, and he’s just been nominated to the California Supreme Court, making him the first gay black man to ever be nominated.
According to CNN, at a press conference, Jenkins stated, “I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by the Governor to continue serving the people of California on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, I will serve with the highest ethical standards that have guided me throughout my career, informed by the law and what I understand to be fair and just.”
If elected, Jenkins will be the just the third African American to serve on the California Supreme Court and the first openly gay justice. According to Fox San Francisco, it’s been 29 years since a black man has sat on California’s Supreme Court.
At his nomination, Governor Newsom said, “Justice Jenkins is widely respected among lawyers and jurists, active in his Oakland community and his faith, and is a decent man to his core. As a critical member of my senior leadership team, I’ve seen firsthand that Justice Jenkins possesses brilliance and humility in equal measure. The people of California could not ask for a better jurist or kinder person to take on this important responsibility.”
