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Eric Smith (Alaska)
Eric Booth Smith is a former judge of the Palmer Superior Court in Alaska's Third Judicial District. He was appointed on April 18, 1996, by Governor Tony Knowles.[1] Smith retired at the end of July 2016.[2]
Education
Smith earned his B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1975 and his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979.[3][4]
Career
- 1996-2016: Judge, Third Judicial District
- 1986-1996: Sole practitioner for nonprofit agencies, native villages and environmental groups
- 1982-1986: Executive director for Trustees for Alaska in Anchorage
- 1972-1982: Staff attorney, Office of General Counsel for an Environmental Protection Agency[3]
Supreme court bid
Smith was one of two finalists who sought appointment to the Alaska Supreme Court upon the retirement of Justice Warren Matthews on April 5, 2009. The other was Morgan Christen. The two nominees were selected by the Alaska Judicial Council out of a pool of six applicants for the position. Republican Governor Sarah Palin appointed Judge Christen on March 4th, 2009.[5]
Smith also applied to fill the seat that was vacated by Robert Eastaugh as of November 2, 2009. He was one of seven candidates nominated by the Alaska Judicial Council for the Governor to select from.[6]
Applicant survey
The Alaska Judicial Council performs a survey of all applicants for Supreme Court justice positions by interviewing Alaskan attorneys about various qualities of the applicants. "Applicants are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest rating and a rating of 3 being 'acceptable.'"[7]
Judge Smith's scores:
| Professional Competence | Integrity | Fairness | Judicial Temperament | Suitability of Experience | Overall Professional Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
Elections
2012
- See also: Alaska judicial elections, 2012
Smith was retained with 63.27 percent of the vote on November 6th.[8][9]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Current Alaska Judges
- ↑ Alaska Dispatch News, "Talking circles, not steel bars: Retiring Palmer judge pioneered tribal sentencing," May 14, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Alaska Judicial Council, "Application for Judicial Appointment," December 18, 1995
- ↑ List of Applicants, Alaska Judicial Council (dead link)
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, Palin pick 2nd female Supreme Court judge, March 4, 2009
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News "7 qualified for seat on high court," October 24, 2009 (dead link)
- ↑ Judicial selection survey, Alaska Judicial Council
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "2012 General Official Candidate List"
- ↑ Alaska Secretary of State: Official 2012 General Election results
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Alaska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Alaska
State courts:
Alaska Supreme Court • Alaska Court of Appeals • Alaska Superior Court • Alaska District Court
State resources:
Courts in Alaska • Alaska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alaska
