High interest in Verby's bench |
| October 29, 2012 |
|
First District Judge Steve Verby, who won
election to the bench in 2002, will move on to
senior status, which, though he will continue to
hear cases, is a position akin to
semi-retirement for Idaho judges, vacating his
office January 18, 2013. Because he is not up for reelection this year, the Idaho Judicial Council will choose his replacement, and they'll be reviewing the records and qualifications of a lot of practicing attorneys and judges, including Boundary County Prosecutor Jack Douglas and Deputy prosecutor Tevis Hull, Sandpoint, who was also selected recently to represent the City of Bonners Ferry on an as-needed basis, with the stipulation that if he's selected to don the black robe, they'll be looking for someone else. The 2002 election came about when long-time First District Judge James Michaud, appointed to the position by Governor Cecil Andrus, went on senior status. The race was decided by election, with Brent Featherston knocked out of the running in the primary and Verby going on to defeat Jack Douglas in November, though Douglas carried four of the five First District Counties. Verby only carried his home county, Bonner County, but did so by a wide enough margin to eke out a narrow win, 23,581 votes to Douglas's 22,744. To see the results of that election, click here. In Boundary County, Douglas received 1,902 votes to Verby's 770. In Idaho, once a judge wins or is appointed to the bench, they no longer have to face competitive election; instead, voters are given the choice to either retain or oust a sitting judge. In addition to the two local prosecutors, the Idaho Judicial Council will also be examining the credentials of magistrate judges Barbara Buchanan, Sandpoint, Scott Wayman, Coeur d'Alene, and Jay Gaskill, Lewiston, and private practitioners Brent Featherston, Sandpoint, Steven Frampton, Hayden Lake, Linda Payne, Coeur d'lene, and Richard Christensen, St. Maries. |