Alaska’s Justice System Requires Impartial Judges Who Feel Safe to Follow the Law and the Evidence – Nothing More, Nothing Less
Both state and federal courts have constitutionally established roles as independent, impartial forums created to dispense justice without regard to race, religion, political affiliation or financial status of the individual seeking redress. Here. Courts have a responsibility to protect everyone’s right to and expectation of equal justice under the law. All Alaskans rely upon our courts to protect our fundamental rights and freedoms as guaranteed by federal and state constitutions and the laws flowing from them.
Judges embody a court’s important role, relying on the Rule of Law to carry out their corresponding judicial responsibilities. In Alaska as elsewhere, state judges rule on a myriad of issues that affect Alaskans’ daily lives, including employment, free speech and thought, child custody and welfare, criminal matters, civil disputes of all manner, and health and welfare, to name but a few. Federal judges also rule on a myriad of issues, many affecting fundamental rights, including those listed in the federal Constitution’s Bill of Rights. The judicial branch of government is the last line of defense to protect Alaskans when someone or some entity has infringed upon their rights, and to protect against direct attacks on the Constitution.
Attorneys play a critical role within Alaska’s justice system, zealously advocating for their client’s rights under the law. The Rule of Law, judges and attorneys are the essential “pillars” of the justice system, each with differing responsibilities, linked by the role that each must play to protect Alaskans’ access to justice. Attacks against any one of these pillars is, in reality, an attack against our legal system – and against justice.
Judges Are Under Attack
State and federal judges in Alaska, and across the country, now face a constant barrage of threats of bodily harm and verbal assaults challenging their integrity, impartiality, dedication, honesty and skills. Judges who issue unpopular decisions continue to face the wrath of elected officials and their proxies, as well as public opinion. The severity of the attacks is escalating:
- In 2024 a group of Alaskans attacked Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman because he issued an opinion that they did not like. These types of attacks in Alaska continue to escalate from year to year.
- Attacks against state judges across the country also continue to proliferate, taking many different forms. And here.
- An elected official recently accused a federal judge in Alaska, impugning the judge’s integrity by accusing the judge of always ruling for a particular political group. More here. There is no evidence to support the allegations. Here (insert link to Feldman article]
- Elected and appointed federal officials and their proxies continue to threaten impeachment of numerous federal judges who issued rulings that these individuals do not like. Federal marshals recently warned federal judges about escalating threats of physical harm, including hoax bomb threats, implied threats against their children whose biographical details were published. One violent home invasion resulted in the death of a federal judge’s son and injuries to her husband. Evidence indicates that the home invader also tracked a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
- This week federal agents detained a Michigan attorney coming home from vacation with his family, as he entered the Customs area. The attorney does not know why he was detained but notes that he is representing a protestor.
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is again the target of a specific group that does not like a recent opinion she issued.
These threats and attacks undermine the constitutional role of the courts as independent forums for adjudicating disputes by threatening the viability of any system of justice against which they focus. Here and here.
Lawyers are Under Attack
Lawyers are integral to the process of the courts, playing a vital advocacy role in the adjudication of disputes. Alaskans rely heavily upon lawyers to represent them whenever they believe that their freedoms and/or rights are at risk.
Unfortunately, elected and appointed officials and their proxies have recently attacked a number of national law firms and lawyers who represent clients and legal positions that are disfavored by some. These attacks undermine the Rule of Law by threatening the right of lawyers to choose their clients, and the lawyers’ professional responsibility to zealously advocate for and represent their clients, regardless of which side of the political aisle or which political issue is at issue. See here.
Why Does Any of This Matter to You and Other Alaskans?
Every day, Alaskans rely on integrity of our justice system when they exercise their constitutionally protected freedoms and rights. Alaskans need courts, as they are the only tool with which Alaskans can hold government accountable when elected and unelected officials wrongfully violate protected freedoms and/or fail to rectify mistakes. Equal access to justice demands that judges must remain independent from partisan and other politics in order to be free to render decisions based in the Rule of Law, regardless of the outcome of those decisions:
Justice isn’t liberal or conservative, left-wing or right-wing. Justice isn’t about politics and doesn’t turn with the political tides. Justice is the safe harbor that all of us seek—whatever our political stripe—when we find ourselves caught in a storm. Bill Gordon
The totality of the attacks on attorneys, state and federal courts and the Rule of Law threatens every Alaskan. These attacks on our system of justice serve as a warning for every Alaskan, and every American. Assaults on the Rule of Law, judges, and attorneys anywhere in the country pose substantial risks of harm to Alaska’s justice system – and to the future wellbeing of all Alaskans and their families.
It is incumbent upon each of us – and all of us – to protect our justice system by protecting the Rule of Law, Alaska’s judges, and Alaska’s attorneys.
Join Alaskans for Fair Courts and support our efforts as we work to shore up Alaskans’ faith in judicial integrity. We can’t do this work without you!
-Alaskans for Fair Courts