Governor Sean Parnell today appointed Nathaniel Peters to the Bethel District Court. Peters has experience in the local court system as he served in Bethel with the Alaska Public Defender Agency from 2003 to 2006.
After that he moved to Ireland, where he worked in a civil law practice before returning as an assistant public defender in Palmer. He has served in Palmer since 2008.
Peters is a member of the Alaska Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and volunteers with Mat-Su Youth Court, Fronteras Spanish Immersion School, and Mat-Su Project Homeless Connect. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University and a law degree with honors from Ohio Northern University.
Bethel’s District Court–as other district courts in Alaska–has jurisdiction over state misdemeanors and violations of city and borough ordinances. As a District Court judge, Peters can hold preliminary hearings in felony cases, try civil cases valued at less than $100,000 and small claims cases valued at less than $10,000. He can hear domestic violence cases, issue summonses, arrest warrants, and search warrants.
