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On Tuesday, February 18th, the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and the Byron R. White Center invited the Honorable District Court Judge S. Kato Crews to discuss his first year as an Article III judge for the District of Colorado. After Byron White Center Director Deep Gulasekaram welcomed everyone to the event, BLSA Treasurer, Isaac Ogundare, introduced the keynote speaker, adding that this event was commissioned to celebrate Black History Month.

Judge Crews began his talk by noting that he was the third black Article III judge ever appointed in Colorado, and that every single one of them had held the same third seat on the District Court. For his reflection, this fact was important because, he said, it framed how he handled himself as a judge of color who now faced sentencing many defendants who shared his skin color. Judge Crews emphasized that he wants to be seen as a “professional person of color” out in the world, and being a judge is part of that in the sense that he might be the only person that a defendant interacts with throughout the whole criminal justice process who looks like him. For Judge�� Crews, that means to always interact with the defendants in front of him with decency and empathy; that means looking in their eyes when he sentences them.

The first time he sentenced a criminal defendant, Judge Crews confessed that he could not look into his eyes as he normally would when previously serving as a magistrate judge. That oversight still bothers him to this day. Judge Crews makes a point now, in every sentencing hearing he presides over, to look into the eyes of the defendant, dictate the reasons for the sentence he imposed, a journal his decision-making process and note one thing about that defendant when doing so. Judge Crews said that he knew the people in his courtroom are likely are experiencing the worst day of their lives. As such, he feels it is his duty to give them a reason for his decision, allowing them to understand and contemplate the Judge’s conclusions even if they don’t agree with it. The impact this has on these defendants is unknown, but Judge Crews relayed that one public defender told Judge Crews that his client remarked, “At least he looked like me.”

During the question and answer portion, Judge Crews also gave insight into his “surreal” appointment process and “extensive and brutal” confirmation when being selected for the federal bench. Through this process, he quickly recognized his great responsibility to apply and uphold the law as well as be a good person in and out of the courtroom. He compared his judicial responsibilities to those that law students will soon face as new lawyers. While judges may be limited to neutrally applying the rule of law, attorneys have a wider opportunity to reach the community while building reputations and relationships in daily practice. This community outreach must be balanced with personal priorities to reach fulfillment in legal careers. In short, “make your own path.”

Judge Crews is a federal judge who advocates for empathy and open-mindedness, seeing himself as representative of the black legal professional and acknowledging that these values are necessary in the pursuit of justice. His engagement with the Colorado legal community was invaluable.