Alaska
Alaska Supreme Court By The Numbers:
Justice
Former prosecutor
Former public defender
Both a former public defender & civil rights lawyer
- 5 total seats
- 0 current vacancies
- 1 prosecutor
- 2 public defenders
- 1 Justice is both a former public defender & civil rights lawyer
- 0 Justices have other indigent defense experience
- 1 civil rights lawyer
How Members of the Alaska Supreme Court are Selected:
Appointment, Retention Election
The Alaska Judicial Council (AJC) compiles a list of two or more nominees from which the governor appoints a justice. Members of the AJC are appointed by the governor or the state bar association and includes the Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. An appointed justice serves a three-year term before facing a retention election, after which they serve a 10-year term. Interim appointments are made by the governor from the Judicial Council’s list. Mandatory retirement age is 70.
Selection method sources:
Ballotpedia, Judicial Election Methods By State; Brennan Center for Justice, Judicial Selection: An Interactive Map