Idaho Court of Appeals
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The Idaho Court of Appeals was established in 1980 as the intermediate appellate court in Idaho.[1] The court hears cases assigned to it by the Idaho Supreme Court, except capital murder convictions and appeals from the Public Utilities Commission or Industrial Commission which must be heard by the Idaho Supreme Court. Appellants may petition the Idaho Supreme Court to review an Idaho Court of Appeals decision, but the Idaho Supreme Court is not required to grant such a petition.
The Idaho Court of Appeals has three judges and a chief judge who are elected in nonpartisan elections to renewable six-year terms. Cases are heard by three-judge panels.
- Published opinions of the Idaho Court of Appeals can be found here (criminal opinions) and here (civil opinions).
| Idaho Court of Appeals | |||
 | |||
| Court information | |||
| Judges: | 4 | ||
| Founded: | 1980 | ||
| Salary: | [2] | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Nonpartisan election of judges | ||
| Term: | 6 years | ||
Judges[edit]
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
January 1, 2009 - Present |
Butch Otter |
|
|
2017 - Present |
Butch Otter |
|
|
July 2, 2015 - Present |
Butch Otter |
|
|
2019 - Present |
Butch Otter |
Judicial selection[edit]
Judges of the Idaho Court of Appeals are elected in nonpartisan elections. They serve six-year terms and must seek re-election if they wish to remain on the court. To learn more about these elections, visit the Idaho judicial elections page.[3]
The chief judge of the court of appeals is appointed by the chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court and serves in that capacity for two years.[3]
Qualifications[edit]
According to Idaho Code § 1-2404, no person shall be appointed or elected to the office of judge of the court of appeals unless that person:
- Has attained the age of 30 years at the time of appointment or election
- Is a citizen of the United States
- Is registered to vote in Idaho
- Shall have been admitted to the practice of law for at least 10 years prior to taking office
- Has been admitted to the practice of law in Idaho for at least two years[4]
Elections[edit]
2022[edit]
The term of one Idaho intermediate appellate court judge will expire on January 2, 2023. The one seat was up for nonpartisan election on May 17, 2022. A runoff has been scheduled for November 8, 2022.
General election for Idaho Court of Appeals
Incumbent Molly Huskey won election in the general election for Idaho Court of Appeals on May 17, 2022.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Molly Huskey (Nonpartisan) |
100.0
|
221,365 |
|
Total votes: 221,365 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
||||
2020[edit]
The term of one Idaho Court of Appeals justice expired on January 4, 2021. The one seat was up for nonpartisan election on May 19, 2020. A runoff election was scheduled for November 3, 2020. A full term on the court is six years.
Judges with expiring terms[edit]
- This is a list of the justices who had to stand for nonpartisan election in 2020 in order to remain on the bench. Justices could choose not to stand for election.
2018[edit]
The terms of two Idaho Court of Appeals judges expired on January 6, 2019. These judges stood for re-election in 2018 in order to remain on the bench.
2016[edit]
- See also: Idaho judicial elections, 2016
Candidates[edit]
Molly Huskey's seat[edit]
■ Molly Huskey (Incumbent/Unopposed)
Election results[edit]
| Idaho Court of Appeals, Judge Huskey's Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Molly Huskey Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 136,347 |
| Total Votes (938 of 938: 100%) | 136,347 | |
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State Official Results | ||
2014[edit]
| Unopposed | Judge Sergio Gutierrez (Gutierrez seat) |
|---|
- See also: Idaho judicial elections, 2014
2012[edit]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Retention vote: | Retention Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
David Gratton  | Yes | 100% | |
| John Michael Melanson | Yes | 100% |
- See also: Idaho judicial elections, 2012
Ethics[edit]
The Idaho Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Idaho. It consists of five overarching canons:
| “ |
|
” |
The full text of the Idaho Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.
Removal of judges[edit]
Judges in Idaho may be removed in one of two ways:
- The Idaho Judicial Council may investigate a complaint against an Idaho judge and then recommend to the supreme court that the judge should face discipline, removal, or retirement. The supreme court may then review the recommendation and investigate further before determining whether to reject the recommendation, or order discipline, removal or retirement of the judge.
- Impeachment by a majority vote of the Idaho House of Representatives and conviction by a two-thirds vote of the Idaho State Senate.[7]
State profile[edit]
| Demographic data for Idaho | ||
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,652,828 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 82,643 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 91.7% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 0.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.3% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.6% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 11.8% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.5% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 25.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,583 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 16.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Idaho. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern[edit]
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Idaho
Idaho voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
More Idaho coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Idaho
- United States congressional delegations from Idaho
- Public policy in Idaho
- Influencers in Idaho
- Idaho fact checks
- More...
Recent news[edit]
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Idaho Court of Appeals. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- State of Idaho Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals Judges" Select "About Us" from the drop-down menu then "Court of Appeals Judges"
- Idaho Secretary of State, "List of Judges"
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ Justia - Idaho Statutes, "ID Code § 1-2403 (2013)," accessed July 7, 2014
- ↑ This may vary for the chief judge.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Idaho," accessed September 4, 2015
- ↑ Idaho State Legislature, "Idaho Statutes: Title 1, Court and Court Officials," accessed May 17, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Judicial Council, "Idaho Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed May 23, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Center For State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Removal of Judges," accessed May 23, 2015
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Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Idaho • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Idaho
State courts:
Idaho Supreme Court • Idaho Court of Appeals • Idaho District Courts • Idaho Magistrate Division
State resources:
Courts in Idaho • Idaho judicial elections • Judicial selection in Idaho
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