The judge who presided over professor Ward Churchill’s civil case and the criminal trial of the killer of a Denver police officer is leaving the bench to work as a private arbiter.
Denver District Chief Judge Larry Naves begins working for the Judicial Arbiter Group in April. It is a firm of former judges who have provided arbitration in some of Colorado’s most complex legal disputes.
“I think bittersweet is probably appropriate when you have been here as long as I have,” Naves said about leaving the bench. “And it is such a great court with great colleagues and great support people.”
Naves, 63, was appointed to the bench in January 1987 by former Gov. Dick Lamm.
Over the next 23 years, Naves frequently found himself at the center of important and, at times, controversial decisions.
As a young judge, Naves presided over a labor dispute between Gov. Roy Romer and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association that left a lasting impression.
The governor wanted a restraining order preventing a strike.
Naves granted a media request to broadcast his ruling live on the radio as he ruled against the governor and said the teachers could strike.
When Naves got home that night, he watched the news and saw that people had gathered around transistor radios waiting for his ruling and watched in amazement as they began dancing and celebrating after he announced the decision.
“I remember it because it just brought to bear how opinions of judges impact people,” Naves said.
Naves said after that, teachers came up to him and asked him to run for governor. But he always reminded people if the law was not in their favor, the rulings could have gone the other way.
In July 2006, Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey selected Naves to serve as chief judge of the Denver district.
Mullarkey said Naves’ departure is going to leave a “big hole” to fill.
“I think he has attained a reputation as an excellent trial judge,” she said. “He is a smart guy, very thoughtful, and has a really good demeanor.”
A native of Birmingham, Ala., Naves received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Denver in 1968.
He graduated from the University of Colorado law school in 1974 and went to work as a state and federal public defender and later went into private practice.
In 2006, Naves called Raul Gomez-Garcia a coward for not showing up to his own sentencing for the killing of Denver police Detective Donald Young and the wounding of Young’s partner, Jack Bishop.
Naves sentenced Gomez-Garcia to 80 years in prison.
“It was such a needless act, and I saw such an outpouring of support by the public,” Naves said. “Of all the homicides I have done, that one probably stands out as one I will never forget.”
Naves is married to KMGH-Channel 7 anchor Bertha Lynn, and they have three children.
“There are times you work 12 to 14 hours a day and you work weekends, and when you have to spend a lot of time on one case, you have to have an understanding family to be an effective judge,” he said.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
