Supports his brother, Judge Estelle

To the editor:

Most people running for public office, when unfairly attacked, have the opportunity to defend themselves before the voters. Not so, Alaska judges. The seven-member Judicial Council tells voters they should vote against retention of Judge Bill Estelle, but Bill is prohibited from responding with the facts of the case behind this bad advice.

Voters are not told that Judge Estelle handled 12,000 cases during a two-year period when two cases slipped through the cracks and weren’t decided on time. They are not told that the court system’s process to help judges manage this extremely heavy workload and alert them to cases nearing the deadline, failed with regard to one of the two cases. And, they are not told that in five other instances, Alaska judges with very similar mistakes were privately reprimanded or counselled but were not suspended or publically blackballed.

The Alaska Judicial Conduct Commission (a different body than the Council) investigated Judge Estelle’s self-report of his oversight. Here’s what they said: Judge Estelle “provided full and free disclosure to the Commission and brought a cooperative attitude towards the Commission’s proceeding.” The commission found that Judge Estelle had “no dishonest or selfish motive,” and that he did not know “that the affidavits were inaccurate at the time” he signed his time slips and pay affidavits indicating all of his cases had been decided on time. After reviewing approximately 30,000 cases Judge Estelle had handled over the past five years, the Commission found no other overdue cases associated with pay affidavits. The Commission also stated that Judge Estelle has an “excellent character and an excellent reputation…,” is “precise and thorough” in his work, and has a “good legal mind.”

The Judicial Council ignored these findings. Unfortunately, most voters are unaware of the personal power plays and politics that likely explain why the Judicial Council would blatantly disregard the Conduct Commission’s factual findings and recommend Judge Estelle not be retained. In this regard, John Harmon’s Sept. 26, 2014, commentary in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman concerning abuses by the Judicial Council appears to be right on the mark here.

I’m Bill Estelle’s brother. Do I have personal interest? Of course, I do. But that doesn’t change the facts of this matter. I’ve known Bill all his life, and watched him grow into a fine man, an honest attorney and a skilled, competent judge. This effective, experience judge should be retained.

Richard Estelle

Wasilla