Alaska Supreme Court
From Judgepedia
| Alaska Supreme Court |
|---|
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| Sitting justices |
| Dana Fabe Warren Matthews Robert Eastaugh Walter Carpeneti Daniel Winfree |
| 2008 retention votes |
| Robert Eastaugh |
| Former justices |
| Alaska on Judgepedia |
The Alaska Supreme Court was established in the Alaska constitution. The Court can hear cases previously tried in lower state courts, and also oversees the state's judicial system.
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The Bench
The court is comprised of five justice--one chief justice, elected from within the group of (acting) supreme court justices at large, who serves for three years (and may not serve consecutive terms)--and four associate justices. "The supreme court hears cases on a monthly basis in Anchorage, approximately quarterly in Fairbanks and Juneau, and as needed in other Alaska communities. The court prefers to hear argument in the city where the case was heard in the trial court."[1]
Jurisdiction
The Supreme Court is required to accept appeals from previous decisions made by any superior court regarding civil issues, and including cases that originated in administrative agencies. The court has the option, though, to hear appeals for criminal cases or petitions. In order for a criminal appeal to be heard, the appropriate appeals court must certify that the case involves a significant question of constitutional law, or it must be an issue of substantial public interest. The Supreme Court can choose whether or not to accept petitions "from non-final decisions by the superior court in civil cases and from final decisions of the superior court on review of the distric court's decision in civil matters."[2]
Appointment Process
Based upon a merit system, Alaskan governors select judges--supreme, superior, appeals, or district--from a list of qualified candidates, which is supplied by the Alaska Judicial Committee. Upon receiving the list, the governor has 45 days to fill the given vacancy.
Qualifications
Supreme Court eligibility requires four things: that the prospective judge be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Alaska for at least five years (prior to appointment), must be licensed to practice law in Alaska (at the time of appointment), and lastly, they must have been actively engaged in law practice for eight years prior to their appointment.
Current Justices
Removal From Office
Apart from retirement, judges in Alaska can be removed in one of two ways. First, they may be suspended, removed from office, or censured by the Supreme Court upon the recommendation of the commission on judicial conduct. Secondly, they may be impeached by two thirds of the Alaska Senate and subsequently convicted by two thirds of the House of Representatives.
External Links
References
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