List of justices of the Alaska Supreme Court

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This is a list of persons who have served as justices of the Alaska Supreme Court.

List of associate justices[]

Justice Hometown Born Died Began term Ended term Appt. by
Governor		 Replaced Notes
Buell Arthur Nesbett Anchorage June 2, 1910 August 17, 1993 August 1959 March 1970 Egan N/A State courthouse in Anchorage is named after him.
John Henry Dimond Juneau December 28, 1918 June 1985 August 1959 November 30, 1971 Egan N/A Son of Anthony Dimond. State courthouse in Juneau is named after him.
Walter Hartman Hodge Nome August 29, 1896 July 12, 1975 August 1959 March 1960 Egan N/A Appointed to federal judgeship.
Harry Oscar Arend Fairbanks October 26, 1903 June 28, 1966 May 1960 January 1965 Egan Hodge Lost retention election in 1964, the only justice to have done so.
Jay Andrew Rabinowitz Fairbanks February 25, 1927 June 16, 2001 March 8, 1965 February 28, 1997 Egan Arend Appointed to what has become known colloquially as "the Fairbanks seat." Longest-serving justice. State courthouse in Fairbanks is named after him.
Roger G. Connor Anchorage[1] April 23, 1926 July 4, 1999 December 2, 1968 May 1, 1983 Hickel N/A
George Frank Boney Anchorage July 3, 1930 August 30, 1972 December 2, 1968 August 30, 1972 Hickel N/A Died in office as a result of a boating accident near Houston. State courthouse in Anchorage (one of two, and the one in which the court's sessions are held) is named after him.
Robert Cecil Erwin Anchorage[2] December 29, 1934 January 24, 2020 August 3, 1970 April 15, 1977 Miller Nesbett Younger brother of William Matthews Erwin, who represented the eastern Kenai Peninsula in the 1st and 2nd state legislatures. Was the only Alaskan-born justice until the 2007 appointment of Daniel Winfree.
Robert Boochever Juneau October 2, 1917 October 9, 2011 March 22, 1972 October 1980 Egan Dimond Appointed to what has become known colloquially as "the Juneau seat." Appointed to federal judgeship.
James Martin Fitzgerald Anchorage October 7, 1920 April 3, 2011 December 1972 March 1975 Egan Boney Appointed to federal judgeship.
Edmond W. Burke Anchorage September 7, 1935 March 31, 2020 April 4, 1975 December 1, 1993 Hammond Fitzgerald
Warren W. Matthews Jr. Anchorage April 5, 1939 still living May 26, 1977 April 5, 2009 Hammond Erwin Second-longest-serving justice.
Allen T. Compton Juneau February 25, 1938 October 11, 2008 December 12, 1980 November 1998 Hammond Boochever Appointed to what has become known colloquially as "the Juneau seat."
Daniel Alton Moore Jr. Anchorage 1934 still living July 10, 1983 December 1995 Sheffield Connor
Robert Ladd Eastaugh Anchorage November 12, 1943 still living April 18, 1994 November 2, 2009 Hickel Burke Grandson of R. E. Robertson.
Dana Anderson Fabe Anchorage March 29, 1951 still living January 1996 June 2016 Knowles Moore First female justice.
Alex Bryner Anchorage 1943 still living February 1997 October 2007 Knowles Rabinowitz Original member of the Alaska Court of Appeals. Previous to that, was U.S. attorney for Alaska.
Walter L. Carpeneti Juneau December 1, 1945 still living November 1998 January 2013 Knowles Compton Commonly known by the nickname "Bud." Appointed to what has become known colloquially as "the Juneau seat."
Daniel Winfree Fairbanks ca. February 1953 still living January 2008 incumbent Palin Bryner Appointed to what has become known colloquially as "the Fairbanks seat."
Morgan Christen Anchorage December 5, 1961 still living April 5, 2009 January 10, 2012 Palin Matthews Appointed to federal judgeship.
Craig F. Stowers Anchorage June 11, 1954 still living December 3, 2009 June 1, 2020 Parnell Eastaugh Served as chief justice from 2015–2018
Peter J. Maassen Anchorage January 14, 1955 still living August 2012 incumbent Parnell Christen
Joel Bolger Anchorage February 16, 1955 still living February 1, 2013 June 30, 2021 Parnell Carpeneti First justice to have served as a judge on every level of the Alaska judiciary
Susan M. Carney Fairbanks 1962 still living June 2016 incumbent Walker Fabe
Dario Borghesan Fairbanks December 11, 1979 still living July 1, 2020 incumbent Dunleavy Stowers
Jennifer S. Henderson Anchorage 1975/1976 still living July 7, 2021 incumbent Dunleavy Bolger

List of chief justices[]

The Supreme Court had only one chief justice, Buell Nesbett, during its first decade of existence. Alaska voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1970, months after Nesbett's retirement, which set the current limits for chief justices, namely that they are allowed to serve three-year non-consecutive terms. Chief justices have included:

Name Term started Term ended Notes
Buell A. Nesbett 1959 1970
George Frank Boney May 8, 1970 August 30, 1972 Was the youngest chief justice of any state supreme court at the time.[3] Died in office.
Jay Rabinowitz September 25, 1972 1975
Robert Boochever 1975 1978
Jay Rabinowitz October 1978 1981
Edmond W. Burke 1981 1984
Jay Rabinowitz 1984 1987
Warren Matthews 1987 1990
Jay Rabinowitz 1990 1992
Daniel Alton Moore Jr. 1992 1996
Allen T. Compton 1994[4] 1997
Warren Matthews 1997 2000
Dana Fabe 2000 2003
Alex Bryner 2003 2006
Dana Fabe 2006 2009
Walter L. Carpeneti 2009 2012
Dana Fabe 2012 2015
Craig Stowers 2015 2018
Joel Bolger 2018 2021
Daniel Winfree 2021 present

Retention election history[]

Election Year Justice Name Yes Votes Percentage No Votes Percentage
1962 Nesbett 37,872 72.07 14,679 27.93
Dimond 38,873 73.41 14,083 26.59
1964 Arend 29,884 46.74 34,055 53.26
1968 Rabinowitz 48,484 65.27 25,802 34.73
1972 Connor 63,502 72.78 23,752 27.22
1974 Erwin 54,907 67.48 26,460 32.52
1976 Boochever 73,062 67.31 35,476 32.69
1978 Burke 73,841 68.60 33,806 31.40
Rabinowitz 72,978 67.76 34,729 32.24
1980 Matthews 75,991 53.48 66,095 46.52
1982 Connor 104,275 61.51 65,240 38.49
1984 Compton 125,759 54,968
1986 Moore 107,420 48,159
1988 Burke 124,827 46,124
Rabinowitz 100,789 69,707
1990 Matthews 110,036 58,897

References[]

  1. ^ Was raised in Juneau and resided there until just months before his appointment to the court.
  2. ^ Was born and raised in Seward.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Elaine B., ed. (1973). "Alaska Court System". Alaska Blue Book (First ed.). Juneau: Alaska Department of Education, Division of State Libraries. p. 99.
  4. ^ http://juneauempire.com/stories/101708/obi_345354374.shtml#.Vd0adlNVhBc

External links[]

The justices of the Alaska Supreme Court on Ballotpedia

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