Pueblo native Kato Crews confirmed by Senate as US District Court judge for Colorado

Judge Kato Crews, a Pueblo native, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a U.S. District Court Judge for the state of Colorado on Wednesday.

Crews was nominated for the position by President Joe Biden in February and was confirmed with 51 senators voting for and 48 against his nomination.

As a federal district court judge, Crews will oversee federal trials within the U.S. District of Colorado, both civil and criminal.

Crews previously served as a United States magistrate judge for the District of Colorado, a role he'd held since 2018. He was the first Black magistrate judge for the District of Colorado, according to U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper.

Magistrate judges assist the district judges by handling pre-trial matters in civil and criminal cases and sometimes conducting trials. They also facilitate litigants in negotiating settlement agreements.

"Magistrate judges are typically the first judge the parties see in their case," Crews told the Chieftain in 2019. "In civil cases, we might be the only judge the parties see over the life of their case."

During a confirmation hearing on the Senate floor Wednesday, Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, stated that former mentors and colleagues described Crews as a "true public servant who works hard, never loses his poise, and never forgets where he came from."

Bennet also stated Crews was "one of the most accessible judges on the bench and in our state" and "knows the law as well as anyone."

Crews will serve as the only African American judge on the bench, and the only Colorado District Court judge born and raised in Pueblo, Bennet said.

"With his experience, his intellect, his character, Judge Crews will make a remarkable addition to Colorado's District Court," Bennet said. "I urge my colleagues to confirm his nomination with a strong bipartisan vote."

Hickenlooper, also a Colorado Democrat, similarly praised Crews and urged his fellow senators to confirm him to the bench.

"As my colleague mentioned, Crews comes from a part of Colorado — Pueblo — that is often neglected in these types of appointments," he said. "Judge Crews brings that valuable experience from southern Colorado, but he also knows all of the state."

Hickenlooper stated that he wholeheartedly supported the appointment of Crews to the federal bench.

"Judge Kato Crews’s experience, intellect, and integrity will make him a judge for all of Colorado,” Hickenlooper said. “His bipartisan confirmation is a win for Coloradans and the rule of law.”

While on the bench, Crews founded the Federal Limited Appearance Program (FLAP) with the Colorado Bar Association's (CBA) Young Lawyers Division, which provides pro bono representation to pro se litigants during certain court hearings. He also sits on the CBA's Continuing Legal Education Board, and regularly makes himself available to students and young lawyers for mentoring and guidance.

Crews was a founding partner of Mastin Hoffman & Crews LLC from 2011 to 2013, and Hoffman Crews Nies Waggener & Foster LLP from 2013 to 2018, where he focused on civil litigation and labor and employment law.

He was an associate at Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP from 2001 to 2008 and a partner from 2008 to 2010. From 2000 to 2001, he was a staff attorney at the National Labor Relations Board in Denver. Crews received his J.D. from the University of Arizona in 2000, and his B.A. from the University of Northern Colorado in 1997.

Crews also has deep ties to Pueblo.

One of his grandfathers, DeSoto Jordan, founded New Hope Baptist Church and his father, Napoleon Crews, was an attorney who earlier in his career ran a company that supplied security officers for the Colorado State Fair.

Before moving to Rye for high school, the future judge attended Belmont Elementary and Heaton Middle schools.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter@jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: US Senate confirms Pueblo's Kato Crews as Colorado District Court judge