About Us
JUSTICE NOT POLITICS ALASKA is a nonpartisan group of Alaskans concerned about recent efforts to amend the Judiciary Article of Alaska’s Constitution in a manner that would increase the influence of politics in our state’s judicial selection and retention processes. In our view, the Judiciary Article (Article IV) is one of the jewels of our constitution and the principal reason that Alaska has had a long history of judicial excellence. Under its provisions, the independent Alaska Judicial Council evaluates applicants for judgeships and nominates the most highly qualified applicants to the Governor, who makes the final appointment. Once appointed, judges periodically stand for retention during general elections, and the council evaluates their performance and makes recommendations to voters on whether they should be retained.
Our system of merit selection and voter retention has given Alaskans one of the most competent and accountable judiciaries in the world. It has ensured that our judges are chosen for their legal ability, integrity, fairness and judicial temperament, not their political views or affiliations. And it has helped guarantee that judicial decisions are made according to the rule of law, not popular or political pressures or influences that have no place in a justice system dedicated to fairness and impartiality.
We believe recent attempts to amend the Judiciary Article represent bad public policy and should be resisted by all informed citizens of Alaska. The system we have is not broken, has served us well, and should be preserved.
WHO WE ARE
We are a group of individuals from varied professions and backgrounds who have come together to support a fair judicial selection and retention system.
Walter (Bud) Carpeneti
Board Vice-President, Juneau
Alaska Chief Justice
2009-2013
Alaska Supreme Court Justice
1998-2013
Juneau Superior Court Judge
1982-1998
"I was a lawyer for forty years and a judge for over thirty. But I’ve been a basketball fan all my life. In court rooms as on the basketball court, Alaskans expect fair play. Judges who honor the duty to be fair and impartial should not face political attack for doing their jobs."
Bill Gordon
Board President, Fairbanks
Former Non-Attorney Member, Alaska Judicial Council
2003-2009
Public Member, Alaska Bar Association
2012-Present
"For forty years I have participated as a non attorney in a variety of positions that affect our state‘s judicial selection process. I served a six year term as a non attorney member of the Judicial Council where I participated in the nomination of new judges and worked through the thorough judicial evaluation and retention recommendation process. Through my experience in all facets of selection, evaluation and retention, I am convinced Alaska’s judicial merit selection system is the best in the nation."
David L. Landry
Board Secretary-Treasurer, Anchorage
Business owner, construction company
"Well managed, fair and impartial courts are important infrastructure for the business community. As a business owner, I support Alaska‘s current judicial selection system for it’s long track record of providing us with a competent, clean, non-political judiciary."
Paul Dillon
Director, Juneau
Retired Attorney,
Commercial Fisherman
Our times require an independent, highly qualified judiciary to preserve and protect our democratic way of life. Alaska’s system of judicial selection and retention has provided the State with an exceptional group of judges, past and present. There is no reason to change one of the most successful judicial selection and retention systems in the nation.
For more information, Contact Us at justicenotpoliticsalaska@gmail.com