Eight Alaska attorneys have submitted applications to the Alaska Judicial Council for a vacancy on the Anchorage District Court, following the upcoming retirement of 62-year-old Judge Pamela Washington, who announced her retirement this year. Washington was appointed to the seat in 2010 by then-Gov. Sean Parnell.
The Alaska Judicial Council, composed of seven members — the chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, three non-attorney members, and three attorney members — will vet the applicants.
According to Susanne DiPietro, executive director of the council, this evaluation will include comprehensive background investigations, a survey of Alaska Bar members, and personal interviews with each candidate.
The application deadline was April 18. Public interviews and hearings are scheduled for August. After evaluations are complete, the Council will nominate at least two applicants for the vacancy, sending the list to the governor, who will have 45 days to appoint a judge from among the nominees.
The applicants for the Anchorage District Court position are:
- John Haley: An Alaska resident for over 11 years, Haley has practiced law for the same length of time. A 2013 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, he currently serves as a senior assistant attorney general in the Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit. He is a registered Nonpartisan. Bio here.
- Dustin Pearson: Pearson, a municipal prosecutor training specialist with the Municipality of Anchorage’s Department of Law, has been an Alaska resident and practicing attorney for 14 years. He earned his law degree from Seattle University School of Law in 2008. He is a registered Undeclared. Bio here.
- Eric Salinger: Salinger, who has lived in Alaska for 12 years, is an administrative law judge in Anchorage. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2013. He is a registered Undeclared. Bio here.
- Peter A. Scully: A private practice attorney in Anchorage, Scully has been an Alaska resident for over 11 years and has 15 years of legal experience. He graduated from Vermont Law School in 2010. He is a registered Undeclared. Bio here.
- Jonathan Stinson: Currently serving as a magistrate judge in Anchorage, Stinson has been a lifelong Alaska resident for 34 years. He graduated from the University of California Irvine School of Law in 2020 and has been practicing law for about 4½ years. He is a registered Republican. Bio here.
- Matt Stinson: An assistant attorney general with the Department of Law, Matt Stinson has lived in Alaska for 31 years and has practiced law for about 4½ years. He earned his degree from Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law in 2020. He is a registered Republican. Bio here.
- Sam Vandergaw: Vandergaw, an assistant attorney general in the Office of Special Prosecutions, has been an Alaska resident for over 40 years and has 15 years of legal practice. He graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2009. He is a registered Nonpartisan. Bio here.
- Matt Widmer: A private practice attorney in Anchorage, Widmer has lived and practiced law in Alaska for nearly 20 years. He is a 2005 graduate of William & Mary Law School. He is a registered Nonpartisan. Bio here.
The Alaska Judicial Council takes public comment on the qualifications of these applicants during the evaluation phase. Members of the public can submit comments or request additional information by contacting DiPietro at the Alaska Judicial Council office, 510 L Street, Suite 450, Anchorage, AK 99501-1295, or by calling (907) 279-2526.
Come on Conservatives: let’s flood DiPietro with positive comments on conservative judges!
I don’t trust anyone that say “nonpartisan” “undeclared” That tells me they are too scared to tell us they are Democrats
Some positions require you to appear neutral, demanding that your preference is not published.
So 6 D’s and 2 R’s. (NP /undeclared = D)
Have you actually looked at voter registration statistics? According to the last batch published by the Division of Elections, and going by your logic, Alaska is 70.4% Democrat and 24.4% Republican. No wonder Republicans are incapable of winning certain elections anymore.
I see some judges registering as Republican, most are “non partisan” or “undeclared.” Hmm, wonder why…
The typical Undeclared voter in Alaska leans to the right whereas the typical nonpartisan leans to the left.
To the senior and assistant attorneys general, for your roles in saying and doing nothing while judicial misconduct paralyzes Alaska’s grand juries, while Thomas Jack rots in jail because proof of his innocence never made it from your colleague’s office to the all-white jury, you’ve got chutzpah, we’ll give you that.
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An assistant attorney general in the Office of Special Prosecutions, an Alaska resident for over 40 years, with 15 years’ legal practice couldn’t fix either of these things, but thinks he’s good enough to be a judge?
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To the “non-partisans” and “undeclared’s”, do you really believe we’re dumb enough to believe you just can’t be radical-Left Democrats in disguise, dedicated to doing what today’s radical left judges do best?
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Remind again how well “vetting” works when it’s done secretly by an unelected Council who aren’t acoountable to anyone for anything.
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Must work pretty well when judges whose misconduct disrupts the grand-jury process can get themselves “vetted” right into The Club, no?
I vote for either of the 30+ year Alaskans who are registered Republicans, you know the Party who actually believe in law and order.
It’s pretty much a sure thing that if any of these judges have conservative credentials, their application will be declined. The Alaska Judicial Council is one of the greatest shams to ever infect Alaska. Thanks, Vic Fischer.
Everyone should look at MRAK archives to the article by Fritz Pettyjohn in Jan. 2023 on this subject. The judicial council is far left, and will pass far left candidates only. So, the governor can choose a far left candidate or a far left candidate. Dunleavy could just reject them all, until a reasonable candidate is submitted, but he won’t. Alaska is one of 26 states that nominate judges this way. It would take a constitutional amendment to change that. Any attempt at that process would undoubtedly be met with millions of dollars in outside leftist money.
When are we FINALLY going to get rid of the corrupt and co-opted Alaska Judicial Council, the pro-establishment, pro-leftist gatekeeper of all Alaska judicial appointments? And how did such a self-serving body ever become established in this state the first place? Why shouldn’t a governor be able to appoint whomever he believes is fit for the job, as he does in so many other situations?
I would trust NONE of these candidates to not toe the establishment line.
Read over Rollo’s comment above. Then put aside the fact that the phrase “elections have consequences” has been overused to the point of meaninglessness. In the 1952 territorial elections, Republicans prevailed for the first time in 20 years, largely riding on the coattails of Eisenhower’s popularity in Alaska dating back to his military days. This didn’t last very long, though. In the 1954 elections, Republicans won only one territory-wide contest (labor commissioner Henry Benson was reelected) and three legislative contests. The 1955 legislature was composed of many idealistic Alaskan short-timers, heavily influenced by the social reforms enacted or proposed by Ernest Gruening during his tenure as territorial governor. They were the ones who passed the legislation to create the constitutional convention, then went to court to successfully fight an effort to prevent their own from serving as delegates.
Pro tip for the aspiring judges:
Take Savannah Fletcher out to lunch, or maybe a movie.
Why not both? She is voted most ethical Judicial Council member in 2025.
Pro tip #2:
Fly your Palestinian flag on your car.
And the Ukraine flag just in case.
LGBTQ flag works good too. And a Defund the Police bumper sticker, and a Peltola/ Fletcher 2026 Governor campaign contribution. Yep, the Fair and Impartial Courts Committee and the Alaska Judicial Council absolutely love Savannah Fletcher.
I know Jonathan Stinson personally and he’s a young man of impeccable character. Life-long Alaskan, Marine, husband and father. Naturally, everyone’s “Bio Here” link works except his. Ironically, I happen to know Susanne Dipietro as well and have always known her to be fair. As for her cohorts at the AK Judicial Council, I can’t say.
He was my platoon commander while I was in.
Jonathon Stinson is a good man. He was my platoon commander, and I was one of his squad leaders while in the Marines.
guess Kendall couldn’t afford the pay cut