Idaho Supreme Court Explained

Court Name:Idaho Supreme Court
Established:1863 - Territorial
1890 - State
Country:Idaho, United States -->
Location:451 W. State St.
Boise, Idaho, U.S.
Type:non-partisan state-wide staggered elections
Authority:Idaho State Constitution
Appeals:Supreme Court of the United States
Terms:6 years
4 years (Chief Justice)
Positions:5
Website:Official website
Chiefjudgetitle:Chief Justice
Chiefjudgename:G. Richard Bevan
Termstart:January 1, 2021

The Idaho Supreme Court is the state supreme court of Idaho and is composed of the chief justice and four associate justices.

The decisions of the Idaho Supreme Court are binding on all other Idaho state courts. The only court that may reverse or modify its decisions is the Supreme Court of the United States.

The court moved into its present building in 1970; it was previously housed in the nearby state capitol building.

Justices

See main article: List of justices of the Idaho Supreme Court. Justices are elected in non-partisan statewide elections and serve staggered six-year terms. Elections are held in the state primary, now in the spring, with run-off elections in November. The Chief Justice is selected by an election among the five justices and term length for that office is four years.[1] Prior to 1983, the position went to the justice with the least amount of time remaining in his term.[2]

The court originally had three justices; it was expanded to five in 1921.

Current justices

JusticeAgeBornJoinedChief JusticeTerm endsAppointed byLaw school
, Chief Justice5 May 19592021–present2024Butch Otter (R)BYU
13 February 19702028Denver
1 May 19632026Butch Otter (R)BYU
7 October 19732028Brad Little (R)Idaho
Cynthia MeyerDecember 20232026Brad Little (R)Utah

Women on the Supreme Court

The first female justice on the Idaho Supreme Court was Linda Copple Trout, appointed in 1992 by Governor Cecil Andrus and elected in 1996 and 2002. She remains as the state's only female chief justice (1997–2004). The second female justice was Cathy Silak, appointed by Andrus in 1993 and elected in 1994. She lost her reelection bid in 2000 to Dan Eismann and became the first incumbent justice from the court to be defeated since 1944.[3] [4]

After Trout's retirement in 2007, no women were on the court until the election of Robyn Brody in 2016 to a vacant seat, the first by a female; she is the only justice on the current court not first appointed. Colleen Zahn joined the court in 2021, appointed by Governor Brad Little; Brody and Zahn ran unopposed in 2022. With Little's appointment of Cynthia Meyer in 2023, the court currently has a female majority.

List of chief justices

Name Years
2021–present
Roger Burdick (2)2017–2020
2015–2017
Roger Burdick 2011–2015
2007–2011
2004–2007
1997–2004
1993–1997
1989–1993
1987–1989
1983–1987

Video coverage

The Idaho Supreme Court first permitted live video and audio coverage from its chambers in late 1978.[5]

See also

External links

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Notes and References

  1. News: Justice Jim Jones to be Idaho Supreme Court's next chief justice, as of Aug. 1 . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Russell . Betsy Z. . July 15, 2015 . August 17, 2015.
  2. News: Donaldson is first elective chief justice . Associated Press . Lewiston Morning Tribune . January 4, 1983 . 4D.
  3. News: Otter emerges from GOP crowd in Idaho primary . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . May 24, 2000 . B5 .
  4. News: Statewide judicial vote by county . State of Idaho . Secretary of State, Election Division . May 23, 2000 . August 17, 2015.
  5. News: Idaho Supreme Court will open its doors to cameras . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . Associated Press . November 30, 1978 . 14A.