Ninth Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown Joins Courts and Legal Community at Justice 250 Event

N E W S

July 7, 2026
Contact: Katherine Rodriguez
mediarelease@ce9.uscourts.gov

SAN FRANCISCO — Senior Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, joined courts and legal community leaders, at the “Justice 250: Celebrating Your Constitutional Rights” civic program held July 2, 2026, aboard the USS Midway in San Diego. The Justice 250 program, a collaboration by various courts and legal organizations in San Diego, celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, our nation’s history and judicial system, and the judiciary’s role in American democracy.

In addressing the audience, Judge McKeown emphasized that “the story of our country and its citizens is 250 years in the making. And it all began with the Declaration of Independence. Among the principles the Declaration enshrined is judicial independence. The colonies wanted judges who would act independently of the King.” Judge McKeown noted the importance of holding Justice 250 on the USS Midway, which was commissioned just days after the Second World War had ended and played an important role in U.S. history. She went on to note that “respect for the rule of law, based on principles of liberty and fairness, is the bedrock of our Republic and democracies around the world.” Finally, she noted that the “Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are not idle documents of a bygone era. They represent the ideals that we must safeguard. The project of our republic only works if we all pitch in.” She asked the audience to join her in “standing up for justice.”

The program was co-hosted by:

• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
• Superior Court of California, County of San Diego
• California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One
• San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
• San Diego County Office of the Public Defender
• San Diego Office of the City Attorney
• U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California
• Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
• San Diego County Bar Association
• County of San Diego County Counsel

For more information about Justice 250, visit https://justice250.com/.

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