On the journey to the bench, Judge Jon Olafson wanted to bring his identity with him.
“Back in 2001 after I finished law school, I came out,” said Olafson. “I’m a gay man, and there’s, you know, not as many LGBTQ judges around the country.”
Olafson is the only district court judge in Denver with his pronouns (he/him/his) displayed prominently on the front door of his courtroom.
He was concerned about push-back when he decided he wanted to make the courtroom a more inclusive place. But just before Olafson’s mother passed away, she gave him advice that he took to heart.
“Every once in a while, when I need that extra boost, I hear my mom in my head saying, ‘You show them who you are, and you give them hell, kid,'” Olafson said.
Olafson has been Colorado’s 2nd Judicial District Court judge for about seven months. One of his first moves under that title was to introduce a civility order.
“It’s something a little bit different and something that not a lot of courts are doing, but there’s a lot of talk about it,” said Olafson. “Like, what are we doing to create an environment that is freer from bias?”