Alaska Court of Appeals
The Alaska Court of Appeals was created in 1980 by the Alaska Legislature. It consists of a four-judge panel made up of a chief judge and three associate judges. The chief judge is appointed by the Alaska Supreme Court's chief justice to serve a two-year term. The court meets in Anchorage and travels to Fairbanks as caseload demands.[1]
Decisions of the court can be appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court. Criminal appeals from a district court can be taken to a superior court or directly to the Court of Appeals, at the option of the defendant. A defendant who appeals from a district court to a superior court, however, can ask the Court of Appeals to review the resulting decision of the superior court, but the court has discretion in choosing whether it will.[1]
The Court of Appeals has jurisdiction to hear appeals regarding criminal prosecutions, post-conviction relief, juvenile delinquency, extradition, habeas corpus, probation and parole, bail and the excessiveness or leniency of a sentence.[1]
| Alaska Court of Appeals | |||
 | |||
| Court information | |||
| Judges: | 4 | ||
| Founded: | 1980 | ||
| Salary: | Associates: $213,701[2] | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Assisted appointment | ||
| Term: | 8 years | ||
Judges
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
February 9, 2017 - Present |
Bill Walker |
|
|
2019 - Present |
Bill Walker |
|
|
December 18, 2020 - Present |
Mike Dunleavy |
|
|
November 23, 2012 - Present |
Sean Parnell |
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Alaska
The four judges on the Alaska Court of Appeals are selected through the assisted appointed method. Each justice is appointed from a list of two or more nominees compiled by the Alaska Judicial Council.[3]
The initial term of a new judge is at least three years, after which the justice stands for retention in an uncontested yes-no election. Subsequent terms last eight years.[4] For more information on these elections, visit the Alaska judicial elections page.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a justice must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a state resident for at least five years;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- active in law practice for at least eight years; and
- under the age of 70.[5][6]
Chief judge
The chief judge of the court of appeals is selected by the supreme court's chief justice. He or she serves in that capacity for two years.[7]
Vacancies
The process of filling interim judicial vacancies is identical to that of filling ones that would occur at the end of a justice's term. The governor appoints a justice from a pool of names provided by the nominating commission. After occupying the seat for at least three years, the appointee runs in an uncontested yes-no retention election and, if retained, will serve a subsequent term of eight years.[3][4]
Elections
2024
The terms of two Alaska intermediate appellate court judges will expire in February 2025. The two seats were up for retention election on November 5, 2024. The filing deadline was August 1, 2024.
Candidates and results
Allard's seat
Alaska Court of Appeals
Marjorie Katharine Allard was retained to the Alaska Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 61.2% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
61.2
|
158,861 | ||
No |
38.8
|
100,507 | |||
Total Votes |
259,368 | ||||
|
|
Terrell's seat
Alaska Court of Appeals
Timothy Terrell was retained to the Alaska Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 58.0% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
58.0
|
148,690 | ||
No |
42.0
|
107,575 | |||
Total Votes |
256,265 | ||||
|
|
2022
The term of one Alaska intermediate appellate court judge expired on February 6, 2023. The one seat was up for retention election on November 8, 2022.
Alaska Court of Appeals
Bethany Spalding Harbison was retained to the Alaska Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 61.6% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
61.6
|
134,620 | ||
No |
38.4
|
84,000 | |||
Total Votes |
218,620 | ||||
|
|
2020
The term of one Alaska Court of Appeals justice expired on February 1, 2021. The one seat was up for retention election on November 3, 2020. A full term on the court is eight years.
- This is a list of the justices who had to stand for retention election in 2020 in order to remain on the bench. Justices could choose not to stand for election.
2018
- See also: Alaska judicial elections, 2018
Judge David Mannheimer, who had the only seat up for retention in 2018, did not file to retain his seat.[8] The scheduled retention election did not take place.
2016
Judges who faced retention
■ Marjorie Allard 
■ Judge Douglas Kossler did not file to stand for retention in 2016, even though his term was set to expire in February 2017.[9][10]
Election results
Marjorie Allard was retained in the Alaska Court of Appeals, Allard's seat election with 62.21% of the vote.
| Alaska Court of Appeals, Allard's seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| Marjorie Allard | 62.21% | |
| Source: Alaska 2016 General Election, Official Results | ||
2012
- See also: Alaska judicial elections, 2012
| Candidate | Court | Retention vote: | Retention Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
Joel Bolger  | 166,208 | 65.24% |
Ethics
Judges in Alaska must abide by Code of Judicial Conduct. There are five canons in the code.
| “ |
|
” |
| —Alaska Judiciary[12] | ||
Removal of judges
Judges in Alaska can be removed in one of two ways:
- The Commission on Judicial Conduct may recommend the suspension, removal, forcible retirement or censure by the Alaska Supreme Court for any judge that it finds has broken the Code of Judicial Conduct.
- Judges may be impeached by two thirds of the Alaska State Senate. The judge must then be convicted by two thirds of the Alaska House of Representatives.[13]
Commission on Judicial Conduct
The Commission on Judicial Conduct was established in 1968 after an amendment to the Alaska Constitution. The commission investigates complaints filed against judges alleging misconduct or wrongdoing. Complaints can be made by anyone. The commission only hears complaints against state judges. It cannot hear complaints against magistrates or attorneys, among others.[14]
The commission's members are three state court judges, three attorneys who have been licensed in the state and practicing for at least 10 years, and three lay members. [15]
State profile
| Demographic data for Alaska | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 737,709 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 570,641 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 66% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 3.4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 5.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 13.8% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 1.2% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 8.4% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.5% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 92.1% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $72,515 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 11.3% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Alaska. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Alaska
Alaska voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
More Alaska coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Alaska
- United States congressional delegations from Alaska
- Public policy in Alaska
- Endorsers in Alaska
- Alaska fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Alaska Court System, "Alaska Appellate Courts," archived February 23, 2015
- ↑ The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Alaska Judicial Council, "AS 22.07.070. Vacancies," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Alaska Judicial Council, "AS 15.35.053. Approval or rejection of a judge of the court of appeals," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "AS 22.07.040. Qualifications of judges," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "AS 22.25.010. Retirement of Justices and Judges," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Court System, "Court System Information," accessed accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ State of Alaska, "Alaska Judicial Council Judicial Vacancy Announcements 6-25-2018," accessed September 20, 2018
- ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "November 8, 2016 General Election Candidate List," accessed August 5, 2016
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "Current Judges," accessed August 5, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Alaska Court System, "2014 - 2015 Alaska Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed May 8, 2015
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Removal of Judges," accessed May 8, 2015
- ↑ State of Alaska, "Role of the Commission," accessed May 8, 2015
- ↑ State of Alaska, "Commission on Judicial Conduct," accessed May 8, 2015
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Alaska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Alaska
State courts:
Alaska Supreme Court • Alaska Court of Appeals • Alaska Superior Court • Alaska District Court
State resources:
Courts in Alaska • Alaska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alaska
| |||||||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current |
| ||
| Former | Robert Coats • Joel Bolger • David Mannheimer • David Stewart • Douglas Kossler • | ||
