Sitka lawyer appointed as judge, vetting of applicants for Juneau bench underway

Defendant Reuben Yerkes sits by public defender Jude Pate in Sitka Superior Court on Monday, May 15, 2017. Judge David George advised Yerkes he had the right to trial within 120 days, Yerkes waived that right to examine the state’s evidence against him.
Defendant Reuben Yerkes sits by public defender Jude Pate in Sitka Superior Court on Monday, May 15, 2017.(File photo by Robert Woolsey/KCAW)

Sitka has a new Superior Court judge.

Gov. Bill Walker selected Jude Pate to succeed retiring Judge David George.

Pate, currently a public defender in Sitka, was one of two lawyers nominated for the bench by the Alaska Judicial Council.

Private attorney Julie Willoughby of Juneau was the other nominee.

Before becoming a public defender, Pate worked as a lawyer for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and had his own private practice.

George retires in April.

The first major case for the new judge will be the homicide trial of Reuben Yerkes.

The 40-year-old former Juneau resident turned himself in to police after allegedly killing his girlfriend, 28-year-old Ali Clayton, in May 2017.

After pleading not guilty, his trial is scheduled for September.

Meanwhile, Willoughby also is an applicant to the Juneau Superior Court seat being vacated by Judge Louis Menendez, who will retire at the end of June.

Other applicants for that seat include private Juneau attorneys Lael Harrison and Kevin Higgins, public advocate Margaret McWilliams, Juneau municipal attorney Amy Mead, tribal judge Debra O’Gara, assistant attorney general Hanna Sebold, private Fairbanks attorneys Franklin Spaulding and Gary Stapp, and Kenai public defender William Taylor.

Alaska Judicial Council members will meet in May in Juneau to interview the applicants and hold a public hearing.

The council will then send the names of at least two nominees to Gov. Bill Walker who will make the final selection.

(Disclosure: Debra O’Gara also sits on the KTOO Board of Directors.)

Sign up for The Signal

Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week

Site notifications
Update notification options
Subscribe to notifications