The United States Senate confirmed longtime magistrate judge Kenly Kato to a federal judgeship over Inland Empire’s cases Nov. 7.
Kato will be appointed to the Eastern Division of United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Her Senate confirmation was close and along party lines. Each Democrat and the Senate’s three independents gave her a combined 51 aye-votes, while 46 Republicans voted nay and three Republicans elected not to vote.
Kato joined the California Central District as a magistrate judge in 2014. In that role she presided over petitions, discovery and settlement hearings, misdemeanors and preliminary felony procedures. She also had the authority to handle trials
