Three Juneau residents are among the thirteen applicants to replace Justice Walter “Bud” Carpeneti on the Alaska Supreme Court.
Superior Court Judge Philip Pallenberg, Assistant Attorney General Susan Cox and Administrative Law Judge Terry Thurbon have submitted their names to the Alaska Judicial Council for consideration. Ketchikan Superior Court Judge Trevor Stephens is the only other Southeast resident that applied.
The list also includes attorneys Andy Harrington and Peter Maassen, the two finalists to replace Justice Morgan Christen on the Supreme Court. President Obama recently appointed Christen to the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Governor Sean Parnell has less than 10 days to pick either Maassen or Harrington, taking one of them out of the running for Carpeneti’s seat.
Carpeneti, who lives in Juneau, announced his retirement in June. His last day on the bench will be January 31, 2013.
The Alaska Judicial Council will evaluate all of the applicants for the upcoming vacancy, including public hearings in person interviews. The council will then submit two or more nominees to the governor, who will choose the next Justice.
Casey Kelly is a reporter at KTOO in Juneau.
