Victor Antone sworn in as Chief Judge

March 18, 2016

Mikhail Sundust

Gila River Indian News

Victor Antone was sworn-in as Chief Judge of the Gila River Indian Community Tribal Courts on Mar. 2.

Judge Antone received Bachelor’s Degrees in Philosophy and Political Science from New Mexico State University in 1981 and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Northern California in 1996.

While living and earning his education in Sacramento, Antone made frequent trips home to visit family and friends. As a law student in California, Antone worked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. During that time, he said, his aim was always to return to the Community to help and serve its people.

For several years in the early 2000s he worked for the Gila River Indian Community as a Police Ranger, which gave him valuable insight and experience to working in the Community.

After serving as an associate judge for a few years, he served as the GRIC Chief Judge from 2006-2008. He has served as an associate judge for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Court for the past seven years.

Antone says, “The court is the last bastion of tribal sovereignty,” and he believes that the “survival of tribal sovereignty will depend on true, open communication between the court, the tribal government and the people.”

Antone was raised primarily by his grandfather, Juan Antone, in the Upper San Tan area in the time of horses, wagons and mud houses.

Today he lives in District 4 with his wife Lt. Gov. Monica Antone, two stepdaughters, and five grandchildren. In his downtime, he enjoys spending time with his family.

He says, “These grandkids, they make life enjoyable.”