The Boney Courthouse building in Anchorage holds the Alaska Supreme Court chambers. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
A prosecutor, a defense attorney, a judge and a private practice attorney have applied to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Alaska Court of Appeals.
On Nov. 5, the Alaska Judicial Council will take public testimony and vote on a list of finalists for candidates to replace longtime Judge Bethany Harbison.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy will then have 45 days to make the final pick. That person will complete the four-judge body that hears most criminal appeals short of the Alaska Supreme Court.
The list of applicants, previously announced in June, includes prosecutor RuthAnne Beach, deputy chief of the Office of Criminal Appeals in Anchorage; Lacey Jane Brewster, an assistant public defender in Anchorage; Fairbanks Superior Court Judge Patricia Haines; and Juneau private-practice attorney Chris Peloso.
In a survey of practicing attorneys, Haines was rated as the most qualified candidate, having received a score of 4.6 out of a possible 5. Beach received a rating of 4.2, Brewster a rating of 2.9, and Peloso, a rating of 2.6.
The survey, conducted for all judicial vacancies, considers a score of 3 to be “acceptable,” and a score below that mark is considered “insufficient.”
The council must forward at least two candidates to the governor for final selection; if it cannot do so, the hiring process will restart.
The Alaska Judicial Council includes three attorneys and three members of the public appointed by the governor. In the event of a tie, the chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court casts the tiebreaking vote.
Public testimony on the four candidates will be taken by Zoom and in person in Anchorage. Candidates may be interviewed by the council in public or in private; Peloso was the only candidate willing to be interviewed in public.
A public vote on the final candidates is expected no earlier than 4:30 p.m. Nov. 5.
