Pennell to serve as federal judge in Eastern Washington

Rebecca L. Pennell will serve as judge for the U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington after the U.S. Senate confirmed on Wednesday President Joe Biden’s nominee.

Pennell will fill the judgeship left vacant since 2022 when District Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. was elevated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, according to a news release from the U.S. Courts for the Ninth Circuit. Pennell will maintain chambers in Spokane.

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Pennell to the Washington State Court of Appeals Division III in Spokane. She was elected in 2016 and reelected in 2020.

Before her appointment to the bench, she worked from 2000 to 2016 for the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho in Yakima, where she served as a trial and appellate attorney.

“My colleagues and I are pleased to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Judge Pennell on her confirmation,” said Chief U.S. District Judge Stanley A. Bastian, Eastern District of Washington. “This significant achievement marks an important milestone in both her distinguished legal career and the continued strength of our federal judiciary. Judge Pennell brings a wealth of experience, legal acumen and a commitment to justice that will undoubtedly contribute to the integrity and excellence of our court.”

Federal district court judges are nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate and serve lifetime appointments upon good behavior, according to the release.