Dana Fabe
| Dana Anderson Fabe | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| Alaska Supreme Court | |
| Title: | Chief justice |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | Gov. Tony Knowles |
| Active: | 1996-2020 |
| Chief: | 2000-2003, 2006-2009, 2012-Present |
| Preceded by: | Daniel A. Moore |
| Past post: | Alaska Third District |
| Past term: | 1988-1996 |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1951 |
| Bachelors: | Cornell University, 1973 |
| Law School: | Northeastern Law School, 1976 |
Contents |
Dana Anderson Fabe is the chief justice of the five member Alaska Supreme Court. She was appointed to the court in the state's Commission-selection, political appointment method of judicial selection in 1996 by Governor Tony Knowles. Fabe first served as Chief Justice from 2000 to 2003. She began her second term as Chief Justice in July 2006 and served in that role until July of 2009. She was both the first woman to be appointed to Alaska's highest court, and the court's first female Chief Justice. She became the chief justice again in July 2012 when Justice Walter Carpeneti stepped down from the position. Justice Fabe was retained for another ten year term in 2010. Her current term will expire in 2020.[1]
Education
Fabe earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1973 and her Juris Doctor from Northeastern Law School in 1976.[1]
Professional career
Judge Fabe began her legal career with James H. Goetz, Esq. in 1974. She then worked under Tim McCall, Esq. in 1975 before joining the firm Zalkind & Zalkind. She then worked at the firm Hart, Leavitt & Hall from 1975 to 1976. She clerked for Justice Edmond W. Burke of the Alaska Supreme Court from 1976 to 1977. Fabe then served as a staff attorney for the Alaska Public Defender Agency from 1977 to 1981, and in 1981 she was appointed by the governor to be Chief Public Defender for Alaska. Fabe was appointed by Governor Steve Cowper to the Anchorage Superior Court, Third Judicial District Bench in 1988. She was Deputy Presiding Judge of the Third District from 1992-95, as well as a Training Judge for the district. In 1988 She was appointed to her current position on the Alaska Supreme Court where she has served two terms as the Chief Justice.[1]
Awards and Associations
Associations
- Member, National Advisory Council of the American Judicature Society
- Member, Soroptimist International of Cook Inlet
- Member, Cornell Club of Alaska
- Trustee, Anchorage Museum Association
- Chair, Alaska Supreme Court, Civil Rules Committee,
- Chair, Alaska Supreme Court, Judicial Outreach Commission
- Chair, Alaska Court System, Law Day Steering Committee
- Chair, Alaska Teaching Justice Network
- Co-chair, Alaska Bar Association, Gender Equality Section[1]
Election
2010 election
| Alaska Supreme Court Justice Retention 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
For retention 
|
100,003 | 53.2% | ||
| Against retention | 87,843 | 46.8% | ||
- Click here for 2010 General Election Results from the Alaska Secretary of State.
- Main article: Alaska Judges up for Retention Election in 2010
- See also: Alaska judicial elections, 2010
During Fabe's 2010 election she was opposed for retention by the private group CitizenLink, the public policy arm of the national Christian group Focus on the Family weeks before the election seeking to have voters rule against her retention. Fabe discussed this issue during the Evaluating Appellate Judges: Preserving Integrity, Maintaining Accountability conference (2011) Conference.[2]
Alaska Judicial Council
The Alaska Judicial Council recommended unanimously (5-0) that she be retained. The AJC conducted a survey of thousands of attorneys in Alaska, who rated Justice Fabe on ten categories. Overall, her rating was 4.3 on a scale of 5, where "5" means "excellent".
- She scored highest (4.4) in the categories of "temperament," "integrity", and "diligence."
- She scored 4.2 or better in all ten categories.
The AJC also surveyed court employees, who rated Fabe 4.6 on a scale of 5 on overall performance. [3]
| Summary categories | Attorney survey | Court employee survey |
|---|---|---|
| Legal ability | 4.4 | - |
| Impartiality | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Integrity | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| Temperament | 4.6 | 4.8 |
| Diligence | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Overall | 4.3 | 4.6 |
Notable rulings
Alaska parent consent abortion law
In 2007 the Alaska Supreme Court ruled against a law requiring a parent to give consent before a teen could get an abortion. In the ruling, authored by Dana Fabe allowed for a parent notification requirement that later became law when brought to the ballot in August of 2008. Fabe was also on the panel of justices that allowed the ballot measure to go to voters. [4]
See also
External links
- Dana Fabe info at Alaska Judicial Council
- Alaska Court System
- Fabe's responses to a 1999 judicial retention election survey
- Fabe's 2008 State of the Judiciary remarks
- Anchorage Daily News, "Allies defend Fabe as justice fights ouster," October 28, 2010
References
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