Ralph Beistline
| Ralph Beistline | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| United States District Court for the District of Alaska | |
| Title: | Chief Judge |
| Position: | Seat #1 |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | George W. Bush |
| Active: | 3/19/2002 - Present |
| Chief: | 2009 - Present |
| Preceded by: | Russel Holland |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1948 |
| Home State: | Fairbanks, AK |
| Bachelors: | U. of Alaska, B.A., 1972 |
| Law School: | U. of Puget Sound School of Law, J.D., 1974 |
Contents |
Ralph R. Bestline is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. He joined the court in 2002 after being nominated by President George W. Bush.[1]
Early life and education
A native Alaskan, Bestline graduated from the University of Alaska with his Bachelor's Degree in 1972 and later graduated from the University of Puget Sound School of Law with his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1974.[1]
Professional career
After law school, Bestline was a law clerk for three Superior Court Judges in the Alaska Superior Court from 1974 to 1975. The remainder of his pre-judicial legal career was spent in private practice, licensed in the State of Alaska. In 1992, Beistline became a superior court judge in Fairbanks.[1]
Judicial career
District of Alaska
On the recommendation of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and Frank Murkowski, Beistline was nominated by President George W. Bush on November 8, 2001 to a seat vacated by Russel Holland as Holland assumed senior status. Beistline was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 12, 2002 on an unopposed 98-0-2 vote[2] and received commission March 19, 2002.[1]
Notable cases
Joshua Wade case
| United States District Court for the District of Alaska *Alaska v. Joshua Wade |
|---|
| Judge Judge Ralph Beistline was the presiding judge in the trial of Joshua Wade. Wade was charged with murder and carjacking which is considered a federal offense. On January 4, 2010, the judge ordered the trial delayed until August of 2010 to make sure DNA evidence was gathered.[3] However, in February 2010, Wade confessed to two murders in a plea deal. The confession spared him the death penalty, which is the punishment for a murder conviction in federal court. [4] |
See also
External links
- Judge Beistline's Biography at the Federal Judicial Center
- Reuters, "Alaska couple admits to plot to kill federal judge and others," August 28, 2012
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Judge Beistline's Biography-Federal Judicial Center
- ↑ "Senate Judiciary Committee" Confirmations of the 107th Congress, February 5, 2009
- ↑ "Anchorage Daily News" Wade murder trial postponed until August, judge rules, January 4, 2010
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Wade to spend life in prison," February 17, 2010
| Federal judicial offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Russel Holland |
District of Alaska 2002–Current Seat #1 |
Succeeded by: NA |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Ralph Beistline • Timothy Burgess • Sharon L. Gleason | ||
| Senior judges |
John Sedwick • James Singleton • Russel Holland • James von der Heydt • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Leslie Longenbaugh • Michael A. Thompson • John D. Roberts • Deborah M. Smith • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Walter Hodge • James Martin Fitzgerald • Andrew Kleinfeld • Raymond Plummer • James A. Wickersham • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Walter Hodge • John Sedwick • James Singleton • Russel Holland • James Martin Fitzgerald • James von der Heydt • Raymond Plummer • | ||
