By Andrew Chung

(Reuters) – Leondra Kruger was a journalist before she became a lawyer and became one the youngest ever justices to be appointed to California’s Supreme Court.

Kruger, considered a potential U.S. Supreme Court nominee for President Joe Biden to replace the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer https://www.reuters.com/world/us/liberal-us-supreme-court-justice-stephen-breyer-retire-media-reports-2022-01-26, was editor-in-chief of her high school’s newspaper. At Harvard University she was editor-in-chief of the Crimson, a daily student paper. She was a Yale Law School student and became the Yale Law Journal’s editor-in-chief.

As a journalist, she was known for being careful and thoughtful. She has now been praised for her gradual approach to ruling cases.

If Biden selects Breyer to replace her, her moderate approach could help her get confirmation. Kruger, the first Black woman on top U.S. court body, would be a historic event.

David Ettinger of Los Angeles, an attorney and expert on California’s Supreme Court said “I consider her cautious in her use judicial power.” I believe she is concerned about the detail of legal issues and not letting ideologic predilections dictate the outcome.

Biden pledged to nominate a Black woman as Supreme Court justice. The Supreme Court has only had two Black justices: Clarence Thomas in 1991 who is still serving and Thurgood Marsh in 1993. Kruger, if confirmed would also become the sixth female Supreme Court justice.

Kruger was previously employed by the U.S. Justice Department as a lawyer, representing 12 cases to the Supreme Court.

In 2014, Kruger was aged 38 and was named by Jerry Brown (Democratic former California Governor) to the highest court of the largest U.S. state. Kruger received praise from both former Republican and Democratic colleagues. Paul Clement was the U.S. solicitor General under Republican President George W. Bush. He said that Kruger combines an understated, easygoing style with sharp legal minds and unquestioned integrity.

MODERATE VOICE

According to observers of the seven-member liberal-leaning California high court, although its decisions are generally unanimous, Kruger likely straddles an ideological middle: moderately liberal in civil matters, but more conservative in criminal cases.

Kruger was a part of many important cases during his seven-year tenure on the California Supreme Court.

In 2018, Kruger authored https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/S223698.PDF a 4-3 ruling that upheld a law requiring people arrested for suspected felonies to provide DNA specimens, even before charges are filed. Dissenting justices called for a biological dragnet that wasn’t “carefully calibrated” to identify felonies.

Kruger made a narrow ruling. Kruger’s ruling was narrow. She invoked the principle of “judicial restriction” and emphasized arson’s seriousness in this case. However, she left the door open to other possible challenges under different circumstances.

In 2019, Kruger joined a unanimous ruling that struck down https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2019/s257302.html a Democratic-backed state law targeting Republican former President Donald Trump that sought to prevent him from appearing as a candidate on California’s presidential primary ballot because he did not disclose his personal income tax returns.

Kruger stated to the Los Angeles Times that his approach “reflects the fact we operate within a system precedent.” Kruger said in 2018. Kruger stated that he aims to do his job so as to increase the predictability, stability and confidence of the law. This will also help the public trust the court’s work.

In 2019, Kruger wrote a unanimous ruling that upheld a white supremacist’s convictions, including for murder, but overturned https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/S148462.PDF the death sentence because the prosecution had invited the jury to weigh the man’s racist beliefs in determining whether to impose the death penalty.

In the case of Scott Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife Laci and unborn son during a 2004 trial that drew outsized media coverage, Kruger in 2020 wrote a unanimous ruling affirming his conviction but overturning https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-peterson/top-california-court-overturns-death-penalty-of-scott-peterson-who-murdered-pregnant-wife-idUSKBN25K2F7 his death penalty due to errors in jury selection.

Kruger grew up in Los Angeles and attended Polytechnic in Pasadena. Kruger was called “cool and calm” by a former classmate, who helped edit her school newspaper article. This article was published in 2020.

She “could be funny and gossipy with friends, but she chose her words with great care, which made you listen more closely,” wrote https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2020/10/27/leondra-kruger-jim-ho-supreme-court-high-school-memories/ideas/connecting-california Joe Mathews in Zocalo Public Square, a Los Angeles-based publication.

Kruger was born in Jamaica to a mother and father who were both doctors. Brian Hauck, a San Francisco-based lawyer is her husband. Two young children are born to the couple.