Three women judges anchor the Alaska Court of Appeals

The Alaska Court of Appeals is an intermediate court of appeals in the Alaska Court System, created in 1980 by the Alaska Legislature as an additional appellate court to lessen the burden on the Alaska Supreme Court. As part of Justice Alaska’s mission to help citizens better understand the role Alaska courts play, we’ll focus on the mission of this court and its three judges. For the first time in Alaska history, all three appeals court judges are women.

According to the Alaska Court System website, the Court of Appeals has jurisdiction to hear appeals in cases involving criminal prosecutions, post-conviction relief, juvenile delinquency, extradition, habeas corpus (“show me the body,” a procedural device requiring a person under arrest be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention), probation and parole, bail, and the excessiveness or leniency of a sentence.

(L-R): Judge Tracey Wollenberg, Chief Judge Marjorie K. Allard, Judge Bethany S. Harbison (Photo from Alaska Court System website)

Today’s program will illuminate the particular role the Court of Appeals plays. Guests include the three judges on the court: Judge Tracy Wollenberg, Chief Judge Marjorie K. Allard, and Judge Bethany S. Harbison. The three judges will describe their strategies to decrease the large load of cases currently before the court. They’ll talk individually about why they chose the legal profession and how serving as a judge answered the quest for a career of service.

Listeners are welcome to participate in this conversation with questions and comments. Join us!

HOSTS: Senior Judge Elaine Andrews and Kathleen McCoy

GUESTS:

  • Chief Judge Marjorie K. Allard
  • Judge Tracey Wollenberg
  • Judge Bethany Harbison

LINKS:

PARTICIPATE:

  • Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
  • Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
  • Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air
  • LIVE: Monday, December 16, 2019 at 2:00 p.m
  • RE-AIR: Monday, December 16, 2019 at 8:00 p.m.

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