Kato Crews

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Kato Crews

| image = S. Kato Crews.jpg

| office = Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado

| term_start = January 12, 2024

| term_end =

| appointer = Joe Biden

| predecessor = Raymond P. Moore

| successor =

| office1 = Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado

| term_start1 = August 3, 2018

| term_end1 = January 12, 2024

| successor1 = Timothy P. O'Hara

| birth_name = Shane Kato Crews

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1975}}

| birth_place = Pueblo, Colorado, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = University of Northern Colorado (BA)
University of Arizona (JD)

}}

Shane Kato Crews (born 1975){{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Crews%20SJQ%20Public%20Final.pdf|title=Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|accessdate=March 21, 2023}} is an American lawyer and jurist who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado since 2024. He previously served as a United States magistrate judge of the same court from 2018 to 2024.

Early life and education

Crews is a native of Pueblo, Colorado.{{Cite press release |title=Bennett, Hickenlooper Celebrate Judge Kato Crews' Nomination to Serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado |date=February 22, 2023 |url=https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=28E262A4-A064-4742-8E8A-44D7989DB6C8 |access-date=February 27, 2023}} He attended Rye High School in Rye, Colorado.{{Cite web |last=Boczkiewicz |first=Robert |title=From 'Crewser' to federal judge |url=https://www.chieftain.com/story/news/courts/2019/10/21/from-crewser-to-federal-judge/2481386007/ |access-date=February 22, 2023 |website=Pueblo Chieftain |language=en-US}} He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona in 2000, where he served on the Arizona Law Review.{{Cite web |date=February 22, 2023 |title=President Biden Names Thirtieth Round of Judicial Nominees |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/22/president-biden-names-thirtieth-round-of-judicial-nominees/ |access-date=February 22, 2023 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}

Career

In 2000 and 2001, Crews served as a staff attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in Denver. He later worked as a lawyer at Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP in Denver from 2001 to 2008, becoming partner from 2008 to 2010. He worked at Mastin Hoffman & Crews LLC from 2011 to 2013, and Hoffman Crews Nies Waggener & Foster LLP from 2013 to 2018. In private practice, Crews focused on labor, business, and real estate law.{{Cite web|url=https://vettingroom.org/2023/03/10/judge-kato-crews/|title=Judge Kato Crews – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado|first=Harsh|last=Voruganti|date=March 10, 2023}} He served as a magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado from August 3, 2018 to January 2024.{{Cite web |last=Michael |first=Karlik |title=Biden nominates Kato Crews for federal judgeship |url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/courts/biden-nominates-kato-crews-for-federal-judgeship/article_96160b76-b2c1-11ed-99db-cfdcb9568cf2.html |access-date=February 22, 2023 |website=Colorado Politics |date=February 22, 2023 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Shane Kato Crews |url=https://www.uscourts.gov/judicial-milestones/shane-kato-crews |access-date=February 27, 2023 |website=www.uscourts.gov |language=en}} He was the court's first African-American magistrate judge.

= Federal judicial service =

On April 29, 2022, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper recommended Sundeep Addy, Gordon Gallagher and Crews for two vacancies on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.{{Cite press release|title=Hickenlooper, Bennet Recommend Candidates for U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado|date=April 29, 2022|url=https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-bennet-recommend-candidates-for-u-s-district-court-for-the-district-of-colorado-2/ |access-date=February 22, 2023}} On February 22, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Crews to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

On February 27, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Crews to a seat being vacated by Judge Raymond P. Moore, who subsequently assumed senior status on June 20, 2023.{{Cite press release|title=Nominations Sent to the Senate|date=February 27, 2023|publisher=The White House|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/27/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-97/}} Crews was the third magistrate judge to be nominated for a district court vacancy in Colorado.

On March 22, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.{{Cite web|title=Nominations|date=March 21, 2023|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-activity/hearings/03/22/2023/nominations}} During his confirmation hearing, he was unable to answer a question by Senator John Kennedy, in which the senator asked him to define a Brady motion, which is a tenet of criminal law.{{Cite web|title=Another Biden Judicial Nominee Stumbles at Confirmation Hearing|date=March 22, 2023|publisher=Bloomberg News|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/another-biden-judicial-nominee-stumbles-at-confirmation-hearing}}

On May 11, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by a party line 11–10 vote.{{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2023-05-11%20-%20EBM%20-%20Results.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – May 11, 2023|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|accessdate=May 11, 2023}}{{Cite news|last=Karlik|first=Michael|title=Kato Crews advances out of Senate Judiciary Committee along party lines|url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/courts/kato-crews-advances-from-senate-judiciary-committee/article_7bc2c7aa-f010-11ed-9b24-c32fd649b5a3.html|website=coloradopolitics.com|access-date=May 11, 2023|language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Lebowitz |first1=Megan |last2=Kapur |first2=Sahil |last3=Thorp V |first3=Frank |title=Feinstein returns to the Senate Judiciary Committee, helping advance Biden judges |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/feinstein-returns-senate-judiciary-committee-helping-advance-biden-jud-rcna83949 |website=NBC News |date=May 11, 2023 |access-date=11 May 2023 |language=en}} On January 10, 2024, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 51–47 vote, with Senator Kyrsten Sinema voting against the motion to invoke cloture on his nomination.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00003.htm|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: S. Kato Crews to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Colorado)|website=United States Senate|date=January 10, 2024|access-date=January 10, 2024}} Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 51–48 vote, with Senator Sinema voting against his confirmation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00004.htm|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: S. Kato Crews, of Colorado, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado)|website=United States Senate|date=January 10, 2024|access-date=January 10, 2024}}{{Cite news|last=Hansen|first=Ronald J.|title=Sen. Kyrsten Sinema votes against Biden judicial nominee for 1st time|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2024/01/11/sen-kyrsten-sinema-votes-against-biden-judicial-nominee-s-kato-crews/72182807007/|website=azcentral.com|access-date=January 11, 2024}} He received his judicial commission on January 12, 2024.{{FJC Bio|nid=13761441|inline=yes}}