The City of Fairbanks is asking that the Fairbanks Four federal civil rights case be considered in two stages, starting with a ruling on the validity of the 2015 prison release agreement that barred the men from suing the city or state.
Crime & Courts
Swastika appears on South Tongass Highway, Ketchikan’s second incident of racist vandalism in less than a week
The first vandalism appeared over the weekend on a trail and skatepark near Schoenbar Middle School.
Ketchikan police investigate racist, homophobic graffiti at local skate park and trail
“This seems to be obviously pretty intentional. I don’t know if ‘planned out’ is the right term, but they certainly spent some quality time making some damage,” Ketchikan Police Department Lt. Andy Berntson said.
110 days after Bethel woman reported sexual assault, police arrest her alleged rapist
More than two months after her initial report to police, Juanita Nick protested what she said was the criminal justice system’s inaction on her case.
Supreme Court rules in favor of Gov. Dunleavy in case over unconfirmed appointees
The ruling reverses a Superior Court decision that 94 positions filled by Dunleavy appointees had been vacated in December.
Judge orders state to allow in-person visits for lawyers and jailed clients, whether vaccinated or not
The order comes as misdemeanor trials are set to resume April 19 and felony trials June 1, after being mostly put on pause for more than a year due to the pandemic.
Alaska Supreme Court restores access to public employee and teacher retirement benefits
The decision made on April 2 allows former teachers and government workers who were previously members of Tier I, II, III retirement plans to pay back their cashed out contributions and get credit for additional years they worked.
Alaska Senate bill would give juveniles with long prison sentences a chance at parole
Some Alaska inmates who committed crimes as juveniles, and were tried as adults, face long prison sentences without the possibility of getting out on parole for decades. One Alaska senator wants to change that.
Alaska justices question Legislature’s ability to budget for schools, other items in future years
The questioning happened during oral arguments in a lawsuit between Gov. Mike Dunleavy on one side and the Legislative Council and school funding advocates on the other.
With limited resources, prosecutors in Western Alaska struggle to prioritize massive caseloads
Prosecuting crimes in Western Alaska can be tough, with just a few lawyers assigned to thousands of cases annually.