High interest in Verby's bench
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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.
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