Sunshine Suzanne Sykes at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- Jurisdiction
- California · Federal
- Judicial service
- June 14, 2022–present
Sunshine Suzanne Sykes
Judge · U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Available research
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Biography
Professional career
- Professional Career: Deputy county counsel, Riverside County, California, 2005-2013
- Professional Career: Contract attorney, Juvenile Defense Panel, Murrieta, California, 2003-2005
- Professional Career: Staff attorney, California Indian Legal Services, Sacramento, California, 2001-2003
- Deputy County Counsel, Riverside County Office of County Counsel, 2005-2013
- Practitioner, Juvenile Defense Panel, Southwest Justice Center, 2003-2005
- Practitioner, California Indian Legal Services, 2001-2003
Judicial service
- Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, 2013-2022
- Judge, District Court, C.D. California, CA, 2020-present
Education
- Stanford University · English, with honors, 1997
- Stanford Law School · J.D., 2001
Personal record
Born 1974 · Tuba City, AZ
Courtroom rules and guidance
Civil Remote Testimony
In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards.
For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location.Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court ↗
Criminal Recording And Broadcasting
Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception.
Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited ↗
Sources
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · checked August 16, 2026
https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/Jps/CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/13935/sunshine-suzanne-sykes/Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedureFederal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts