Biden describes her as a consensus-builder with a “pragmatic understanding that the law must work for the American people.”
Crime & Courts
Roland Maw reaches plea deal on PFD fraud
Kasilof drift fisherman Roland Maw pleaded guilty in superior court for collecting six years of PFDs while he was claiming residency in another state.
Senate bill would expand power of up to 30 Alaska tribal courts
Tribes in the pilot program would be able to try and sentence anyone who commits domestic violence, rape or related crimes in their villages, even if the offender is non-Native.
Years after Anchorage police fatally shoot Black man, dashcam video prompts new questions
A state prosecutor who reviewed the case and wrote the report declined to press charges against the officers. Through their lawyer, the family has disputed police accounts and the report’s findings.
Colleagues remember former Alaska Chief Justice Stowers for his dedication to law, courts
Stowers retired in 2020 after 11 years on the court. He was a park ranger in Denali National Park before studying law.
Judge to dismiss Sarah Palin’s defamation suit against New York Times
The case centered on a June 2017 Times editorial that Palin’s attorneys argued accused her of inciting murder six years earlier in a mass shooting in Tucson.
Former Alaska Chief Justice Craig Stowers dies at age 67
Stowers retired from the state Supreme Court in 2020.
Dunleavy offers bills targeting domestic violence and sexual assault
One bill would increase jail terms for people convicted of paying for sex.
Fairbanks jury finds Steven Downs guilty in Sophie Sergie’s 1993 murder, sexual assault at UAF dorm
Downs was never suspected of the crime until 2018, when DNA collected from the crime scene was partially matched to a profile in a commercial genealogy database.
Alaska Chief Justice Winfree speaks to Legislature about the importance of protecting democracy
It was the 50th anniversary of the first time a chief justice addressed a joint session of the Alaska Legislature.