Twenty-Fourth Report: 2007-2008 to the Legislature and Supreme Court January 2009 This publication was released by the Alaska Judicial Council, produced at a cost of $3.14 per copy, and printed in Anchorage, Alaska. The Alaska Constitution, Article IV, Section 9, requires the Council to report to the supreme court and to the legislature at intervals of not more than two years. The Alaska Judicial Council (2007-2008) Members and Terms Chairperson Chief Justice Dana Fabe (2006-2009) Attorney Members Non-Attorney Members Douglas Baily (2004-2007) Eleanor Andrews (2000-2007) James H. Cannon (2006-2012) William F. Clarke (2007-2013) Kevin Fitzgerald (2008-2014) Bill Gordon (2003-2009) Louis James Menendez (2007-2010) Charles Kopp (2007-2008) Susan Orlansky (2002-2008) Christena Williams (2005-2011) Council Staff Larry Cohn, Executive Director Teresa W. Carns, Senior Staff Associate Susie Mason Dosik, Project Coordinator Susan McKelvie, Research Analyst E.J. Pavsek, Fiscal Officer Emily R. Marrs, Executive Secretary Kathy Grabowski, Selection and Retention Assistant Deliberately left blank i Judicial Council Membership 2008 Members and staff, left to right (standing) James H. Cannon, William F. Clarke, Kevin Fitzgerald, Larry Cohn (Executive Director), Louis James Menendez (seated) Christena Williams, Bill Gordon, Chief Justice Dana Fabe, Teresa W. Carns (Senior Staff Associate) Deliberately left blank Table of Contents Part I: Introduction A. Judicial Council Duties ........................................................... 1 B. Council Membership ............................................................. 2 C. Organization and Administration of the Council ........................................ 2 Part II: Judicial Selection 2007 - 2008 A. Nominations................................................................... 3 1. Number of vacancies ....................................................... 3 2. Average number of applicants per vacancy ...................................... 3 3. 2007-2008 ................................................................ 3 B. Selection Procedures ............................................................ 4 Part III: Judicial Performance Evaluations 2007 - 2008 A. Retention Election Evaluations..................................................... 7 1. Introduction ............................................................... 7 2. Evaluation Procedures ...................................................... 7 3. Recommendations ......................................................... 8 4. Elections Results .......................................................... 9 B. Performance Evaluation of Pro Tem Judges and other Judicial Officers .................... 11 Part IV: Reports and Recommendations A. Introduction ................................................................... 13 1. Criminal Recidivism in Alaska (February 2007) .................................. 13 2. Recidivism in Alaska’s Felony Therapeutic Courts (February 2007) .................. 13 3. Evaluation of Domestic Violence Advocates: (July 2007) ........................... 14 4. Selecting and Evaluating Alaska’s Judges: 1984 - 2007 (August 2008) ................ 14 5. Transferability of the Anchorage Wellness Court Model (September 2008) ............. 15 6. Fairbanks Juvenile Treatment Court: An Evaluation Plan (November 2008) ............ 15 7. Exchanging Criminal Case Discovery Electronically: A Needs Assessment (December 2008) ............................................................... 16 Part V: Current Judicial Council Projects A. Council Projects ............................................................... 17 1. Criminal Justice Working Group.............................................. 17 2. Evaluation of Adult Guardianship Mediation Project............................... 18 3. Civil Case Data........................................................... 18 B. Commissions, Boards and Committee Service ....................................... 19 1. Supreme Court Fairness and Access Implementation Committee .................... 19 2. Judicial Education Committees............................................... 19 3. MAJIC Committee......................................................... 19 4. Other Interagency Work .................................................... 20 Part VI: The Alaska Judicial Council Website - A Guide to Information and Materials A. Information about the Alaska Judicial Council ........................................ 21 B. Judicial Selection .............................................................. 21 C. Information about Judges and Other Judicial Officers .................................. 22 D. Publications .................................................................. 22 E. Links to Other Websites......................................................... 23 i Table of Contents (Continued) Appendices Page Appendix A Judicial Council Membership ........................................... A-1 Appendix B Bylaws of the Alaska Judicial Council ..................................... B-1 Appendix C Judicial Appointment Log 2007-2008 ..................................... C-1 Appendix D Judicial Selection Procedures ........................................... D-1 Appendix E Retention Evaluation Procedures ........................................ E-1 Appendix F Retention Election History for Judges Currently Serving on the Bench ............F-1 Appendix G Judges Eligible to Stand for Retention in 2010 and 2012 ...................... G-1 Appendix H Retention Vote History 1976 - 2008 ...................................... H-1 ii Part I Introduction Alaska's Constitution established the Alaska Judicial Council and required it to "make reports and recommendations to the supreme court and to the legislature at intervals of not more than two years" (Article IV, Section 9). This twenty-fourth report to the legislature and the supreme court summarizes the Council's activities in 2007 and 2008. A. Judicial Council Duties The Judicial Council has constitutional and statutory duties in three general areas. First, the Council screens applicants for judicial vacancies and nominates the most qualified applicants to the governor for appointment. The legislature also has assigned to the Council the responsibility of screening applicants for the head of the Public Defender Agency. Second, the Council by law must evaluate the performance of judges who are to appear on the ballot, and must make performance information and recommendations available to voters. The legislature provided funding to enable the Council to respond to the Supreme Court’s request that the Council conduct similar evaluations of retired judges sitting pro tem, and of masters and magistrates. Third, the Alaska Constitution directs the Judicial Council to conduct studies and make recommendations to improve the administration of justice in Alaska. The legislature has assigned the Council specific projects from time to time such as staffing Alaska’s Criminal Justice Working Group that collaborates on improvements to Alaska’s criminal justice system; evaluating Alaska’s therapeutic courts; and studying criminal recidivism in Alaska. In 2007 and 2008, the Alaska Court System asked the Council to examine its interstate placement of children in need of aid and to evaluate changes in the court’s processing of domestic violence cases. The Alaska Court System also asked the Council for assistance in designing a database to evaluate the new Fairbanks Juvenile Treatment Court. Constitutional and statutory references to all mandated Judicial Council functions are posted on the Council’s website at www.ajc.state.ak.us. Page 1 Twenty-Fourth Report to the Legislature and Supreme Court Alaska Judicial Council 2007-2008 B. Council Membership Article IV, Section 8 of Alaska's Constitution establishes the membership of the Council as three non-attorney members appointed by the Governor, three attorney members appointed by the Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Association, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alaska who serves, ex officio, as Chair. The Constitution provides that all appointments shall be made "with due consideration to area representation and without regard to political affiliation." A majority of both houses of the legislature must confirm the non-attorney appointments, while the Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Association appoints the attorney members after conducting advisory elections among Bar members within local judicial districts. Members serve six-year staggered terms. The Council membership has changed since the last report. In 2007, Governor Palin appointed Charles Kopp of Kenai to replace Eleanor Andrews as a non-attorney member. Governor Palin appointed William Clark of Chugiak in 2008 to replace Mr. Kopp when the constitution required Mr. Kopp to resign upon his employment with the state. In 2007, the Alaska Bar Association Board of Governors named Louis Menendez of Juneau to replace attorney Douglas Baily when Mr. Baily moved outside the First Judicial District. In 2008, the Board of Governors named Kevin Fitzgerald of Anchorage to replace attorney Susan Orlansky at the expiration of her term. A roster of current and past members of the Alaska Judicial Council is in Appendix A and on the Council’s website. C. Organization and Administration of the Council The Judicial Council is governed by bylaws adopted in concurrence with the constitutional provision that the Council shall act ". according to rules