Charnelle Bjelkengren

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Charnelle Bjelkengren
Image of Charnelle Bjelkengren

Nonpartisan

Spokane County Superior Court
Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

5

Predecessor
Elections and appointments
Last elected

August 6, 2024

Appointed

April 10, 2019

Education

Bachelor's

Mankato State University, 1997

Law

Gonzaga University Law School, 2000 

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Charnelle Bjelkengren is a judge of the Spokane County Superior Court in Washington. Bjelkengren assumed office in 2019. Bjelkengren's current term ends on January 13, 2025.

Bjelkengren won re-election for judge of the Spokane County Superior Court in Washington outright in the primary on August 6, 2024, after the primary and general election were canceled.

On September 19, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Charnelle Bjelkengren to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.[1][2] Bjelkengren's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023. The president renominated Bjelkengren on January 23, 2023.[3][4] On January 9, 2024, Bjelkengren asked President Biden to withdraw her nomination for the court.[5] Click here for more information on Bjelkengren's federal judicial nomination.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Spokane County, Washington (2024)

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Charnelle Bjelkengren (Nonpartisan) won the election without appearing on the ballot.

Endorsements

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Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bjelkengren in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Charnelle Bjelkengren did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington

See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden

On September 19, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Bjelkengren to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.[1] Bjelkengren's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[2] The president renominated Bjelkengren on January 23, 2023.[4] On January 9, 2024, Bjelkengren asked President Biden to withdraw her nomination for the court.[5] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Charnelle Bjelkengren
Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
Progress
Withdrawn 477 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: September 19, 2022
ApprovedAABA Rating: Qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: January 25, 2023
Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: May 11, 2023 
DefeatedAConfirmed:
DefeatedAVote: Voice vote
DefeatedAWithdrawn: January 9, 2024

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Bjelkengren's nomination on January 25, 2023.[3] She was reported to the full Senate on May 11, 2023, after a 11-10 committee vote.[2] Bjelkengren asked President Biden to withdraw her nomination for the court on January 9, 2024.[5]

Nomination

On September 2, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate Bjelkengren to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.[1] The president officially nominated Bjelkengren on September 19, 2022. Bjelkengren's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[2] The president renominated Bjelkengren on January 23, 2023.[4]

Bjelkengren was nominated to replace Judge Sal Mendoza, Jr., who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.[2]

The American Bar Association (ABA) rated Bjelkengren qualified.[6] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Biography

Education

Bjelkengren earned a bachelor's degree from Mankato State University in 1997. She earned and a law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2000.[1]

Professional career

  • 2019-present: Washington State Superior Court judge
  • 2013-2019: Washington State’s Office of Administrative Hearings administrative law judge
  • 2001-2003; 2004-2013: Assistant Attorney General in the Washington State Attorney General’s Office[1]

About the court

Jurisdiction

The Counties of the Eastern District of Washington (click for larger map)

The Eastern District of Washington has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Washington consists of all the following counties in the eastern part of the state of Washington. The court's headquarters are in Spokane, with courthouses in Yakima, and Richland.

To read opinions published by this court, click here.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.


See also

2024 Elections

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External links

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Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The White House, "President Biden Names Twenty-Sixth Round of Judicial Nominees," September 2, 2022
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Congress.gov, "PN2664 — Charnelle Bjelkengren — The Judiciary," accessed September 21, 2022 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "cong" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Committee on the Judiciary "Nominations," accessed January 25, 2023
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Congress.gov, "PN181 — Charnelle Bjelkengren — The Judiciary," accessed January 23, 2023
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Reuters, "Two Biden judicial nominees withdraw from consideration," January 9, 2024
  6. ↑ American Bar Association, "STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES 118TH CONGRESS," last updated January 24, 2023

Washington courts

Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington

State courts:

Washington Supreme Court • Washington Court of Appeals • Washington Superior Court • Washington District Courts • Washington Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in Washington • Washington judicial elections • Judicial selection in Washington

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