DA's office gets new attorney

PALMER -- An attorney in private practice in Houston, Texas, has been hired to join the Palmer District Attorney's Office.

Susan Parkes, deputy attorney general of the state Department of Law criminal division, Thursday confirmed the hiring of Richard "Rick" Allen as assistant district attorney. He will begin the Palmer assignment Jan. 20, 2004.

The hiring is welcomed by Palmer District Attorney Roman Kalytiak, who interviewed Allen along with Parkes and other Palmer District Attorney's Office staff members on Tuesday.

"Over the course of the year we've had vacancies," Kalytiak said. "It's pretty much been on and off for the last two years. We've gotten accustomed to being short-handed, but I try to focus on the positive. Being back up to seven [attorneys] will really help."

The Palmer courthouse handles more total cases for its size than any courthouse in Alaska. Kalytiak said in an earlier interview criminal cases are increasing each year, too, with a particularly big jump from 2001 when 3,329 files were opened to 2002 when 3,576 new files were created. A total of 3,300 files have been opened this year, keeping the Palmer DA's office even with last-year's record pace.

Statistics from state court administration research analyst Leanne Flickinger show how Palmer's court docket exceeds those of other courts in the state. Palmer processed 2,607 criminal cases during the fiscal year that ended June 30. That compares with 2,497 in Kenai and 1,868 in Juneau.

Parkes said about a dozen people applied for the job. The governor's office gave authority to hire Allen before he made the trip from Texas for the interview in Palmer, she said.

Allen was raised in Fairbanks. Parkes said he still has family there as well as in Palmer.

A 2000 graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law, Allen did criminal defense work on the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho prior to practicing law in Texas.

He is a member of the Texas bar, but will have to pass the bar exam in Alaska. Parkes added that Allen will need time to learn the ins and outs of Alaska statutes.

"Since he has been practicing out of state he needs to become familiar with the unique aspects of Alaska law," she said.

She said it will be up to Kalytiak as to what type of cases Allen handles.