10 candidates apply for Palmer judgeship

PALMER -- Ten attorneys have applied to the Alaska Judicial Council for a single judgeship vacancy on the Palmer District Court. From now until the judge is selected, the candidates will undergo lengthy and thorough background checks to ensure their qualifications to hold the prestigious position.

All the applicants will be evaluated by the Alaska Judicial Council's seven members. According to the Council's executive director, Larry Cohn, the evaluations include personal interviews, public comments and an extensive survey that is sent out to all active members of the Alaska Bar and all non-active members who still reside in the state. Cohn estimates the total number of surveys to be about 2,900, 40 percent of which he expects to hear back from.

"We ask the attorneys to rate the applicants based on temperament, integrity, fairness and legal experience," Cohn said. "This is a way to get a direct professional testimony of how the applicants conduct themselves."

The survey asks Alaska Bar members to identify exactly how they know the applicant and what their specific experiences are with them. Survey results will be available to the public on about July 9, according to Cohn.

The general public is encouraged to call, write, e-mail or fax in comments about specific experiences they have had with the candidates in regards to specific cases. Cohn said comments should be sent to 1029 W. Third Avenue, Suite 201, Anchorage, AK 99501. Telephone comments should be directed to (907) 279-2526. Faxes may be sent to (907) 276-5046, and e-mail may be sent to postmaster@ajc.state.ak.us.