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Don’t believe divisive rhetoric, AK’s judicial selection system works

Alaska is a special place. Whether you were born here or moved here, whether you live in a city or off the road system, whatever

Opinions

Opposing Politicizing The Judicial Selection Process For AK District & Appellate Courts

Dear Senator Reinbold and Committee Members, We are writing as the members of the Alaska State Committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers in

Editorials

How Alaska’s judicial selection puts the federal system to shame

There’s not much that’s pretty about national politics these days, but even among a sea of partisan ugliness, the process of selecting judges for the

Opinions

Compass: Stacking Alaska Judicial Council would be a mistake

Resolutions have been introduced in the Alaska Senate and House which propose amendments to the Alaska Constitution’s provisions governing the selection of state judges. Those

Editorials

The Judicial Council is Not Broken – It Does Not Need to Be Fixed

Dear Legislator: We, former non-attorney members of the Alaska Judicial Council, strongly oppose SJR 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would introduce politics in to

Opinions

We’re former Alaska judges. Here’s why our state’s judicial system is the best option.

Alaska Supreme Court on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016. (Bill Roth / ADN) We are proud to have been Alaska judges and we are proud of

Updates

Chief Justice Daniel Winfree State of the Judiciary Address 2023

Report to the First Regular Session of the 33rd Alaska Legislature on February 1, 2023 by Chief Justice Daniel E....

Opinions

Another Reason Not to Support a Constitutional Convention

When Wickersham’s Conscience was a first-year law student, our Civil Procedure professor took us on a field trip to the Cook County Courthouse.1 Even fifty years

Opinions

A change to the judicial selection process is a risky endeavor

What makes a good judge? It is a person able to apply the law impartially without regard to politics. A good judge is an experienced

Opinions

Be an informed voter on retaining judges

A dear friend surprised me recently when she confided “I always vote no on all the judges on the ballot.” Although my friend is typically

Editorials

Constitutional convention supporters target Alaska’s judicial selection process

While social conservatives have campaigned against retaining state judges in recent elections, this year they are focused on a constitutional convention as a way to

Editorials

Alaska is one of 26 states that picks judges through a council. Here’s why some voters want a change.

When the framers of Alaska’s constitution were debating how the state should pick its judges, the goal was to remove politics from the process as