Pocatello street will honor Sergio Gutierrez, Idaho's first Latino district judge

Pocatello is putting a trailblazing judge's name on a city street. On Monday, Oct. 19, the city will unveil an honorary sign for Gutierrez Avenue in tribute to retired Judge Sergio Gutierrez, the first Latino to serve as a district court judge in Idaho.

The ceremony starts at noon at the corner of South Eighth and Red Hill Road, facing the student union on the Idaho State University campus. Gutierrez is expected to be there and everyone is welcome to come.

From the fields to the bench

Gutierrez grew up in a migrant farmworker family and spent his childhood laboring in Idaho's fields. After earning his GED he graduated from Boise State University and became a lawyer. As a young attorney he spoke up for farmworkers and low-income families through the state's migrant council and its legal aid program.

He went on to sit on the Idaho Court of Appeals. Along the way he helped set statewide standards for certified court interpreters, which opened the courts to people who do not speak English. He has also mentored young people across the state.

A new name for a familiar stretch

Council members signed off on the tribute for the part of South Eighth that runs from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to Humboldt Street. That segment had carried Cesar Chavez Avenue as its honorary title. A panel of residents looked at several names and brought its pick of Gutierrez to city leaders during a meeting on Aug. 13.

The new name is ceremonial only. Residents and businesses on the block keep the same addresses.