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This is a list of persons who have served as justices of the Alaska Supreme Court.

List of justices

# Justice Hometown Born–died Began term Ended term Term as
chief justice
Appointed by Reason for termination
1 Buell A. Nesbett Anchorage 1910–1993 August 1959 March 1970 1959–1970 Egan (D) resignation
2 John H. Dimond Juneau 1918–1985 August 1959 November 30, 1971 Egan (D) resignation
3 Walter Hartman Hodge Nome 1896–1975 August 1959 March 1960 Egan (D) appointed to D. Alaska
4 Harry Arend Fairbanks 1903–1966 May 1960 January 1965 Egan (D) lost retention election
5 Jay Rabinowitz Fairbanks 1927–2001 March 8, 1965 February 28, 1997 1972–1975
1978–1981
1984–1987
1990–1992
Egan (D) mandatory retirement
6 Roger G. Connor Anchorage [1] 1926–1999 December 2, 1968 May 1, 1983 Hickel (R) resignation
7 George Frank Boney Anchorage 1930–1972 December 2, 1968 August 30, 1972 1970–1972 Hickel (R) death
8 Robert Erwin Anchorage [2] 1934–2020 August 3, 1970 April 15, 1977 Miller (R) resignation
9 Robert Boochever Juneau 1917–2011 March 22, 1972 October 1980 1975–1978 Egan (D) appointed to 9th Cir.
10 James Martin Fitzgerald Anchorage 1920–2011 December 1972 March 1975 Egan (D) elevation to D. Alaska
11 Edmond W. Burke Anchorage 1935–2020 April 4, 1975 December 1, 1993 1981–1984 Hammond (R) resignation
12 Warren Matthews Anchorage 1939– May 26, 1977 April 5, 2009 1987–1990
1997–2000
Hammond (R) mandatory retirement
13 Allen T. Compton Juneau 1938–2008 December 12, 1980 November 1998 1995–1997 Hammond (R) resignation
14 Daniel A. Moore Jr. Anchorage 1933–2022 July 10, 1983 December 1995 1992–1995 Sheffield (D) resignation
15 Robert L. Eastaugh Anchorage 1943– April 18, 1994 November 2, 2009 Hickel (AI) resignation
16 Dana Fabe Anchorage 1951– January 1996 June 2016 2000–2003
2006–2009
2012–2015
Knowles (D) resignation
17 Alex Bryner Anchorage 1943– February 1997 October 2007 2003–2006 Knowles (D) resignation
18 Walter L. Carpeneti Juneau 1945– November 1998 January 2013 2009–2012 Knowles (D) resignation
19 Daniel Winfree Fairbanks 1953– January 2008 February 6, 2023 2021–2023 Palin (R) mandatory retirement
20 Morgan Christen Anchorage 1961– April 5, 2009 January 10, 2012 Palin (R) appointed to 9th Cir.
21 Craig Stowers Anchorage 1954–2022 December 3, 2009 June 1, 2020 2015–2018 Parnell (R) resignation
22 Peter J. Maassen Anchorage 1955– August 2012 incumbent 2023–present Parnell (R)
23 Joel Bolger Anchorage 1955– February 1, 2013 June 30, 2021 2018–2021 Parnell (R) resignation
24 Susan M. Carney Fairbanks 1962– June 2016 incumbent Walker (I)
25 Dario Borghesan Fairbanks 1979– July 1, 2020 incumbent Dunleavy (R)
26 Jennifer S. Henderson Anchorage 1976– July 7, 2021 incumbent Dunleavy (R)
27 Jude Pate Sitka 1965– March 22, 2023 incumbent Dunleavy (R)

Chief justices

The Supreme Court had only one chief justice, Buell Nesbett, during its first decade of existence. Alaska voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1970, months after Nesbett's retirement, which set the current limits for chief justices, namely that they are allowed to serve three-year non-consecutive terms.

Chief Justice
Nesbett 1959–1970
Boney 1970–1972
Rabinowitz 1972–1975
Boochever 1975–1978
Rabinowitz 1978–1981
Burke 1981–1984
Rabinowitz 1984–1987
Matthews 1987–1990
Rabinowitz 1990–1992
Moore 1992–1995
Compton 1995–1997
Matthews 1997–2000
Fabe 2000–2003
Bryner 2003–2006
Fabe 2006–2009
Carpeneti 2009–2012
Fabe 2012–2015
Stowers 2015–2018
Bolger 2018–2021
Winfree 2021–2023
Maassen 2023–present

Succession of seats

Retention election history

Justices face a retention election in the first regularly scheduled election after they have served three full years, and every ten years thereafter. Only one justice, Harry Arend, has lost a retention election. [3]

Election Year Justice Name Yes Votes Percentage No Votes Percentage
1962 Nesbett 37,872 72.1% 14,679 27.9%
Dimond 38,873 73.4% 14,083 26.6%
1964 Arend 29,884 46.7% 34,055 53.3%
1968 Rabinowitz 48,484 65.3% 25,802 34.7%
1972 Connor 63,502 72.8% 23,752 27.2%
1974 Erwin 54,907 67.5% 26,460 32.5%
1976 Boochever 73,062 67.3% 35,476 32.7%
1978 Burke 73,841 68.6% 33,806 31.4%
Rabinowitz 72,978 67.8% 34,729 32.2%
1980 Matthews 75,991 53.5% 66,095 46.5%
1982 Connor 104,275 61.5% 65,240 38.5%
1984 Compton 125,759 69.6% 54,968 30.4%
1986 Moore 107,420 69.0% 48,159 31.0%
1988 Burke 124,827 73.0% 46,124 27.0%
Rabinowitz 100,789 59.1% 69,707 40.9%
1990 Matthews 110,036 65.1% 58,897 34.9%
1994 Compton 119,089 64.3% 66,157 35.7%
1998 Eastaugh 127,794 64.9% 69,031 35.1%
2000 Bryner 138,749 61.4% 87,347 38.6%
Fabe 130,620 57.1% 98,183 42.9%
Matthews 134,657 60.8% 86,806 39.2%
2002 Carpeneti 130,566 66.7% 65,117 33.3%
2008 Eastaugh 172,440 63.5% 98,944 36.5%
2010 Fabe 126,885 54.4% 106,524 45.6%
2012 Winfree 165,777 64.9% 89,553 35.1%
2014 Stowers 146,829 62.9% 86,534 37.1%
2016 Bolger 157,225 57.9% 114,440 42.1%
Maassen 154,304 57.5% 114,205 42.5%
2020 Carney 200,598 63.0% 117,660 37.0%

References

  1. ^ Was raised in Juneau and resided there until just months before his appointment to the court.
  2. ^ Was born and raised in Seward.
  3. ^ "Primary, General, and Statewide Special Election Results". Alaska Division of Elections.

External links