Bill looks to balance power in Alaska’s judge selection process
A bill introduced by Senator Mike Shower (R-Wasilla) would significantly change the process by which district and appellate judges and magistrates are appointed to their positions. Currently, the Alaska Judicial Council, made up primarily of attorneys, gets
Alaska’s chief justice derides those who suggest judges may be ‘activists’
In his final State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature, a visibly annoyed Chief Justice Daniel Winfree lashed out against anyone who dares to criticize the courts, or suggest that judges might be politically motivated in some
Alaska abortion-on-demand activists delight in rejection of constitutional convention
For months leading up to the Nov. 8 election, the Democratic party, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Alaska marshaled their collective resources to fight the statewide constitutional convention ballot measure. The one unifying factor among these groups was
OPINION: Alaska is in the midst of a great constitutional debate
Every 10 years the voters of Alaska have the chance to determine whether to open our state constitution up for changes. Our founders had the foresight to give us this option. “Defend Our Constitution,” the group using substantial amounts of dark
With 29 Alaska judges on the ballot, only one vote matters
We’ve been inundated with questions about how to vote on the long list of 29 Alaska judges up for retention this year. Like past elections, there is precious little information about these men and women, and that’s by design. While the Alaska Judicial
JIM MINNERY: There are a few Alaska judges worth keeping, but…
“No State Constitution has ever gone this far in placing one of the three coordinate branches of government (the Judiciary) beyond the reach of democratic controls. We feel that in its desire to preserve the integrity of the courts, the
Alaska’s chief justice denies only rural applicant and person of color from spot on Supreme Court
Chief Justice Joel Bolger, like many lawyers, is good with words, but the words have no real meaning. This is the lesson I learned during my first official session on the Alaska Judicial Council. I read the Chief Justice’s June 8, 2020 letter. Justice
Feb. 15 hearing to address how Alaska selects judges
A bill that would fundamentally change the way Alaska chooses judges for the Court of Appeals and District Court is up for public testimony today, Feb. 15, at 1:30 p.m. Introduced by Sen. Mike Shower, Senate Bill 14 would roll back the power of the
Here’s how Alaska could actually appoint constitutionalist judges
William Satterberg, a longtime Fairbanks attorney and former assistant attorney general for Alaska, has laid out a compelling argument for how to transform the way Alaska selects its judges. Rather than letting the liberal leaning seven-member Alaska Judicial
On impeaching Alaska judges
Alaska’s Constitution needs some major overhaul, and the citizens will have the opportunity in 2022 when they are asked: “Shall there be a constitutional convention?” The Alaskan Independence Party’s website has an embryonic and incomplete