Alaska Judicial Council

From Judgepedia

The Alaska Judicial Council is a state commission in Alaska, established by the Alaska Constitution in 1959^[1], and charged with:

• Screening and nominating applicants for judicial vacancies for appointment by the governor;
• Evaluating the performance of judges and providing evaluation information and recommendations to voters;
• Conducting research and publishing reports to improve the administration of justice in Alaska.^[2]

Composition of the Judicial Council

The judicial council is composed of:

• Three nonlawyer members who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by a majority of the legislature in joint session;
• Three lawyer members who are appointed by the board of governors of the Alaska Bar Association; and
• The chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, who serves as the ex officio chair.

^[1]

Current members in addition to ex officio member Walter Carpeneti (after July 1) are:

Member	Attorney?	Appointment effective	Term ends
James Cannon	Yes	2/23/2006	2/23/2012
Kevin Fitzgerald	Yes	4/23/2008	2/23/2014
Louis James Menendez	Yes	7/19/2007	2/23/2010
William F. Clarke	No	10/16/2008	3/01/2013
Kathleen Tompkins-Miller	No	3/01/2009	3/01/2015
Christena Williams	No	5/18/2005	3/01/2011

^[3]

The constitution states that appointments to the AJC must be made "with due consideration to area representation and without regard to political affiliation" and must be geographically diverse. Members of the AJC serve staggered six-year terms, except for the chief justice who serves for three years.^[1][4]

2009 judicial nominees

Warren Matthews announced his retirement effective April 5, 2009. The Alaska Judicial Council narrowed the field of six applicants to Matthews' position down to two in early February of 2009. Those two were Morgan Christen and Eric Smith. Republican Governor Sarah Palin had until March 20, 2009 to make an appointment from the nominees, and she selected Morgan Christen. ^[5]

External links

• Website of the Alaska Judicial Council
• Minutes of the Alaskan Constitutional Convention on judicial selection
• Current members of the AJC

References

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