Since the appointment of Justices Joel Bolger and Peter Maassen to the Alaska Supreme Court, it has issued hundreds of decisions interpreting our state’s laws across the entire range of human activity, whether resolving a child custody matter or establishing the limits of governmental power, resolving complex commercial disputes or affirming a workers’ compensation award.
As the final arbiter of controversies like these, the constitutional role of our supreme court demands that we have justices who are people of high moral character and exceptional legal skill, people who are fair and impartial, diligent in the performance of their duties. Given their day-to-day struggles, most citizens do not have the time to follow closely the actions of our courts. or that reason our Legislature charged the Alaska Judicial Council to “conduct an evaluation of each justice before the retention election … (and) provide the public with information about that justice” and, in its discretion “provide a recommendation regarding retention or rejection.” (AS 22.05.100).
The council surveyed lawyers and court employees who rated Justices Bolger and Maassen (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score, each justice scored 4.6), independently reviewed their work and held public hearings on them. Afterwards, the council recommended that both justices be retained. I urge my fellow citizens to do the same.
Bruce Botelho
Juneau