Zwink gets District Court job

PALMER — It seems the retirement of the Valley’s longest-serving judge has indirectly resulted in promotions for two of her former colleagues.

Friday, Gov. Sean Parnell announced he is appointing David Zwink, 53, to fill an open spot on Palmer’s District Court bench. Zwink had, until then, served as a magistrate at the courthouse.

But that District Court judgeship was only open because one of Zwink’s colleagues — Gregory Heath — had been moved up from the District Court to Superior Court. Gov. Sarah Palin promoted Heath in July to fill a spot Beverly Cutler vacated when she retired. Cutler was the first judge appointed in the Valley and served on the bench for more than 25 years before her retirement.

According to a press statement from Parnell, Zwink is a native of Buffalo, N.Y. He attended college there and worked as a teacher before he went to Oregon to earn his law degree.

Zwink said in his biographical statement as part of his application for the judge’s position that he moved to Alaska in 1985, and in 1986 he moved to the Valley. Parnell’s statement says Zwink was a private attorney in the Valley and, for at least one year, ran his own firm until he joined the bench in 1990.

“Many people I see in the community approach me about what I have said to them in my courtroom and tell me how they have made a success of their lives,” Zwink says in his biographical statement. “There can be no greater reward for a job than that, and I hope to continue to serve my area for many more years.”

District Court, though less high-profile, is likely the court Valley residents who have run afoul of the law are most familiar with. District Court handles low-severity crimes called misdemeanors, plus lawsuits and other civil cases where the money involved is of a relatively small amount.

In contrast, Superior Court handles cases with lots of money at stake or with more serious, or felony, crimes alleged.

Though Zwink is a member of the bar and holds a law degree, according to the state court website, a magistrate doesn’t necessarily have to be a lawyer. Magistrates are similar to District Court judges only with less authority. They tend to handle routine matters in order to free up judges’ time.

Zwink’s promotion would open up that magistrate slot. But according to the court website, the governor doesn’t necessarily have to get involved. The appointment of magistrates is up to the presiding judge of the judicial district, in this case Anchorage Superior Court Judge Sharon Gleason.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.