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Judicial Council Public Hearings
The next retention public hearings will take place in the spring of 2016
Click here to see current scheduled selection public hearings
Public hearings for judicial selection allow citizens of the community where the judge will sit to comment on the applicants for the position and on the judicial selection process. Others with knowledge of the applicants also are encouraged to comment. Subject to available funding, the Council advertises the time and place of the hearing in newspapers in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and the community or area served by the judge.
Each election year, judges stand for retention on the general ballot. By law, the Council evaluates the judges and publishes the results of its reviews. Part of the evaluation includes a statewide public hearing so that citizens can speak about their experiences with judges. Voters can also hear from others about their familiarity with judicial performance. The legislature assists by making its teleconference facilities available for the convenience of the public. Announcements of the public hearing times and locations are published in newspapers statewide, and with public service announcements by radio stations throughout Alaska.
The Council encourages citizens to comment about applicants for judgeships, and about sitting judges through public hearings, or through written comments to the Council.
