Idaho Court of Appeals
The Idaho Court of Appeals was established in 1980 as the intermediate appellate court in Idaho.[1] The court hears cases assigned to it by the Idaho Supreme Court, except capital murder convictions and appeals from the Public Utilities Commission or Industrial Commission which must be heard by the Idaho Supreme Court. Appellants may petition the Idaho Supreme Court to review an Idaho Court of Appeals decision, but the Idaho Supreme Court is not required to grant such a petition.
The Idaho Court of Appeals has three judges and a chief judge who are elected in nonpartisan elections to renewable six-year terms. Cases are heard by three-judge panels.
- Published opinions of the Idaho Court of Appeals can be found here (criminal opinions) and here (civil opinions).
| Idaho Court of Appeals | |||
 | |||
| Court information | |||
| Judges: | 4 | ||
| Founded: | 1980 | ||
| Salary: | Associates: $161,508[2] | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Nonpartisan election of judges | ||
| Term: | 6 years | ||
Judges
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
July 2, 2015 - Present |
Butch Otter |
|
|
2017 - Present |
Butch Otter |
|
|
January 1, 2009 - Present |
Butch Otter |
|
|
March 29, 2024 - Present |
Brad Little |
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Idaho
The four judges of the Idaho Court of Appeals are elected in nonpartisan elections. They serve six-year terms, after which they must seek re-election if they wish to retain their seat. To learn more about these elections, visit the Idaho judicial elections page.[3]
Qualifications
To serve on the appeals court, a judge must:
- be at least 30 years old;
- be a U.S. citizen;
- be an Idaho resident for at least two years;
- be in good standing as an active or judicial member of the state bar for at least two years; and
- a licensed attorney for at least 10 years.[3]
Chief judge
The chief judge of the court of appeals is appointed by the supreme court chief justice and serves in that capacity for two years.[3]
Vacancies
There is one current vacancy on the Idaho Court of Appeals, out of the court's four judicial positions. If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, an interim judge is appointed by the governor from a list of two to four names provided by a nominating commission. This judge will serve out the remainder of the unexpired term, after which he or she must run in a nonpartisan election to remain on the court.[3]
Elections
2024
The terms of two Idaho intermediate appellate court judges will expire on January 6, 2025. The two seats were up for nonpartisan election on May 21, 2024. A runoff was scheduled for November 5, 2024. The filing deadline was March 15, 2024.
Candidate and results
Gratton's seat
General election
General election for Idaho Court of Appeals
Incumbent David Gratton won election in the general election for Idaho Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | David Gratton (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 212,553 |
| Total votes: 212,553 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Lorello's seat
General election
General election for Idaho Court of Appeals
Incumbent Jessica Lorello won election in the general election for Idaho Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jessica Lorello (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 212,011 |
| Total votes: 212,011 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2022
The term of one Idaho intermediate appellate court judge expired on January 2, 2023. The one seat was up for nonpartisan election on May 17, 2022. A runoff was scheduled for November 8, 2022.
Candidates and election results
Zahn's seat
General election
General election for Idaho Supreme Court
Incumbent Colleen Zahn won election in the general election for Idaho Supreme Court on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Colleen Zahn (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 221,658 |
| Total votes: 221,658 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Brody's seat
General election
General election for Idaho Supreme Court
Incumbent Robyn Brody won election in the general election for Idaho Supreme Court on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robyn Brody (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 221,501 |
| Total votes: 221,501 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2020
The term of one Idaho Court of Appeals justice expired on January 4, 2021. The one seat was up for nonpartisan election on May 19, 2020. A runoff election was scheduled for November 3, 2020. A full term on the court is six years.
Candidates and election results
Brailsford's seat
General election candidates
- Amanda Brailsford (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
2018
The terms of two Idaho Court of Appeals judges expired on January 6, 2019. These judges stood for re-election in 2018 in order to remain on the bench.
Candidates and results
Gratton's seat
■ David Gratton (Incumbent, unopposed)
Lorello's seat
■ Jessica Lorello(Incumbent, unopposed)
2016
- See also: Idaho judicial elections, 2016
Candidates
Molly Huskey's seat
■ Molly Huskey (Incumbent/Unopposed)
Election results
| Idaho Court of Appeals, Judge Huskey's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Molly Huskey Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 136,347 |
| Total Votes (938 of 938: 100%) | 136,347 | |
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State Official Results | ||
2014
| Unopposed | Judge Sergio Gutierrez (Gutierrez seat) |
|---|
- See also: Idaho judicial elections, 2014
2012
| Candidate | Incumbent | Retention vote: | Retention Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
David Gratton  | Yes | 100% | |
| John Michael Melanson | Yes | 100% |
- See also: Idaho judicial elections, 2012
Ethics
The Idaho Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Idaho. It consists of five overarching canons:
| “ |
|
” |
The full text of the Idaho Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.
Removal of judges
Judges in Idaho may be removed in one of two ways:
- The Idaho Judicial Council may investigate a complaint against an Idaho judge and then recommend to the supreme court that the judge should face discipline, removal, or retirement. The supreme court may then review the recommendation and investigate further before determining whether to reject the recommendation, or order discipline, removal or retirement of the judge.
- Impeachment by a majority vote of the Idaho House of Representatives and conviction by a two-thirds vote of the Idaho State Senate.[5]
State profile
| Demographic data for Idaho | ||
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,652,828 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 82,643 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 91.7% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 0.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.3% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.6% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 11.8% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.5% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 25.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,583 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 16.9% | 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 Idaho. **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 Idaho
Idaho voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
More Idaho coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Idaho
- United States congressional delegations from Idaho
- Public policy in Idaho
- Endorsers in Idaho
- Idaho fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
- State of Idaho Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals Judges" Select "About Us" from the drop-down menu then "Court of Appeals Judges"
Footnotes
- ↑ Justia - Idaho Statutes, "ID Code § 1-2403 (2013)," accessed July 7, 2014
- ↑ The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 14, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Center For State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Removal of Judges," accessed May 23, 2015
| |||||||
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Idaho • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Idaho
State courts:
Idaho Supreme Court • Idaho Court of Appeals • Idaho District Courts • Idaho Magistrate Division
State resources:
Courts in Idaho • Idaho judicial elections • Judicial selection in Idaho
