District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Peter Krauthamer was sworn in on Friday as one of the newest members of the bench.
Krauthamer, a longtime public defender in Washington, was nominated to Superior Court in July and confirmed by the Senate in November.
Shortly after earning his J.D. in 1982 from Boston University School of Law, Krauthamer joined the D.C. Public Defender Service. Superior Court Chief Judge Lee Satterfield, speaking at Friday's ceremony, said Krauthamer "did just about everything there."
Over the years, Krauthamer served as the deputy chief of the trial division, trial chief and training director. In 1994, he left to work for a year at the Federal Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and then joined the faculty of Howard University School of Law in 1995.
After serving as deputy director of the District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency, Krauthamer went back to the D.C. public defender’s office in 2004, this time as deputy director until his appointment to the bench.
Judge Robert Wilkins of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a former colleague of Krauthamer’s at the Public Defender Service, praised Krauthamer’s “humanity” in his remarks at Friday’s ceremony. He began with a few stories that earned laughs – during Krauthamer’s first jury trial, for instance, Wilkins said Krauthamer was so nervous that he ended his opening arguments by asking the jury to find his client guilty.
On a more serious note, though, Wilkins recalled how his first trial as a junior attorney involved assisting Krauthamer in the defense of a young man charged with murder. It wasn’t a case that made headlines, unlike several high-profile cases Krauthamer handled, but even when no one was watching, Wilkins said, he “always cared.”
“We have added to the bench someone with such talent and such humanity and who cares so much that he will never ever let us down,” Wilkins said.
Krauthamer was one of three new Superior Court judges confirmed in November, along with Judge John McCabe and Judge Danya Dayson.
National Law Journal photos by Diego M. Radzinschi.
Peter Krauthamer and his attitude on the bench put the “gentle” in gentleman. I am not an attorney. In fact, I take my guidance on the bright line of what I can and can not do in a courtroom from Pamela Satterfield who sits on the UPL or Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee in the District of Columbia. I assist a woman who has multiple sclerosis and is motorized wheelchair and bed-restricted as her Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA). She faces the apocalyptic four Horsemen reserved for many African-American women: race, gender, class and want. In short, she is a woman, low-income, a senior and African-American. Because she is a "one-house landlady" – emphasis on houseowner rather than tenant -- it is extremely difficult for her to find a pro bono attorney willing to help her evict a recalcitrant tenant with designs on her house because of her condition and terminal illness. In a hearing before Krauthamer in Landlord and Tenant court, he was like a tightrope walking Wallenda in his balance of interests. He managed to bring compassion and respect to his approach to the disabled woman and yet hold her responsible for repairing her house. He managed to give the tenant her rights, per se, but allow her no ability to run victimhood game. He cut me some slack in that he allowed me to advocate a bit for the disabled woman, but not speak too much because of UPL and the Pro Se status of the Plaintiff. He will bring some of the most deft skills and fairness DC has seen to the bench. Congratulations, Judge Krauthamer and congratulations to his wife, Tanya Chutkan for nurturing his creative style.
Kathleen Rand Reed
The Rand Reed Group
systemsadvocate4dcarea@yahoo.com
Posted by: Kathleen Rand Reed | April 24, 2012 at 10:44 AM