Palmer assistant DA, Wasilla attorney apply for Valdez judgeship

By JOHN DAVIDSON-Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU -- Two Valley residents have applied for a newly created judgeship for the Valdez District Court.

Paul Roetman, an assistant district attorney in Palmer, and Tena Foster, a Wasilla attorney, are two of the eight applicants for the vacancy.

Roetman, 36, has been an Alaska resident for 32 years, and has practiced law for three years. He graduated from Regent University School of Law in 1999, and currently resides near Palmer.

Foster, 48, has been an Alaska resident for seven years and practiced law for six years. She graduated from the University of Idaho in 1997 and currently runs a private practice in Wasilla. Foster has also applied for a vacancy on the Anchorage District Court.

Other applicants for the job are Tim Oliver Cook, 46, a Valdez attorney; Vincent Di Napoli, 45, a magistrate and superior court master for the Alaska court system in Cordova; Peter C. Gamache, 57, an Anchorage attorney; Andy Hemenway, 56, a hearing officer for the state of Alaska in Juneau; Margaret L. Murphy, 48, who is currently employed by the state of Alaska as a magistrate in Aniak and Daniel Schally, 36, an assistant district attorney in Ketchikan.

All applicants will undergo a lengthy evaluation process before the Alaska Judicial Council interviews them and holds public hearings in December. After this, the council will select two or more nominees and the governor will have 45 days to make appointments from the council's nominations.

The council evaluates applicants based on background investigations, a survey of Alaska Bar members and personal interviews with the applicants.

Members of the Alaska Bar will be mailed a survey sometime around Aug. 26. The survey results will be made public in late October 2004.

The general public is encouraged to comment on the qualifications of applicants during the evaluation phase of the council's work.

To comment, or for further information, call (907) 279-2526. Written comments should be mailed to Larry Cohn, executive director, Alaska Judicial Council, 1029 W. Third Ave., Suite 201, Anchorage, AK 99501-1969. Faxes may be sent to (907) 276-5046, and e-mail may be sent to postmaster@ajc.state.ak.us.