Alaska News covers the state court system's operations, judicial decisions, staffing changes, and facility improvements across Alaska's courts.
Boney Memorial Courthouse, 303 K St, Anchorage, AK 99501
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Speaker A
“The husband also implied the daughter, now an adult, was capable of caring for herself, so future child support was unwarranted.”Alaska Court System: Alaska Supreme Court Opinion No.7817, S-19197 Property division & child support in divorce & custody · Sep 10, 2026
Speaker A
“the husband argued that he should not be required to pay past child support for the parties' disabled adult daughter because the daughter lived in an assisted care facility, so neither parent had physical custody of her”Alaska Court System: Alaska Supreme Court Opinion No.7817, S-19197 Property division & child support in divorce & custody · Sep 10, 2026
Speaker A
“2. The state was wrong to find that the corporation performed services in the field of health. And 3. The outcome of this case should be controlled by a private letter ruling the corporation later got from the IRS stating that the corporation did not perform services in the field of health. The court was not convinced by these arguments.”Alaska Court System: Alaska Supreme Court Opinion No. 7818, S-18949, Alyeska International, Inc, d/b/a Alaska Sleep Clini · Sep 9, 2026
Speaker A
“Third, the court was not convinced by the private letter ruling the corporation got from the IRS. In a private letter ruling, the IRS offers an opinion about a taxpayer's tax situation based on facts described by the taxpayer. In this case, the IRS's letter did not mention certain facts that were key to the state's decision. And the private letter ruling was issued long after the state's decision, so it is possible the corporation changed the way it operated in the meantime. Therefore, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the state was not wrong to deny the corporation favorable tax treatment.”Alaska Court System: Alaska Supreme Court Opinion No. 7818, S-18949, Alyeska International, Inc, d/b/a Alaska Sleep Clini · Sep 9, 2026
Speaker A
“The Alaska Supreme Court issued an order on July 17, 2026, in a corporate tax case. Alaska law offers a favorable tax status to corporations that meet certain standards described in federal law. This favorable treatment does not apply to businesses that perform services in the field of health.”Alaska Court System: Alaska Supreme Court Opinion No. 7818, S-18949, Alyeska International, Inc, d/b/a Alaska Sleep Clini · Sep 9, 2026
Speaker A
“A corporation that performs sleep studies ordered by doctors filed a tax return that claimed the favorable tax status. The state denied this status, concluding that the corporation performed services in the field of health, and required the corporation to pay more taxes. The Superior Court affirmed the state's decision. The corporation appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court, raising 3 main arguments: 1. The state's ruling was not timely.”Alaska Court System: Alaska Supreme Court Opinion No. 7818, S-18949, Alyeska International, Inc, d/b/a Alaska Sleep Clini · Sep 9, 2026
Supreme Court to hear Alaska bush pilot's fight over $95,000 plane seized for a six-pack
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear Jouppi v. Alaska, a case in which the state sought to forfeit a Fairbanks bush pilot's $95,000 Cessna after a passenger carried a six-pack of Budweiser onto a flight bound for Beaver, a dry Interior village. The ruling could shape how courts weigh the gravity of an offense in Eighth Amendment forfeiture cases nationwide.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska ballot will show two Dan Sullivans differently — here's what voters need to know
The Alaska Division of Elections released a sample ballot listing namesake challenger Dan J. Sullivan as 'Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.' with no party affiliation, and incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan as the incumbent, a resolution to a legal fight that ended at the Alaska Supreme Court ahead of the August 18 primary.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska Supreme Court: parent who stays active guardian keeps custody when disabled adult child lives in assisted care
The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that a mother who visited weekly and served as legal guardian and conservator retained primary physical custody of her intellectually disabled adult daughter despite the daughter living in an assisted living facility, upholding $640 per month in support from the father.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska Supreme Court rules Sleep Clinic owes back taxes, not a small business
The Alaska Supreme Court ruled Friday that Alaska Sleep Clinic does not qualify for the state's small business tax exemption because it performs services in the field of health, upholding the Department of Revenue's denial for tax years 2016, 2017, and 2018 and setting a precedent for how Alaska taxes diagnostic health businesses.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska Supreme Court affirms termination of Native mother's parental rights over domestic violence
The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed Friday that completing case-plan steps does not constitute remedying the conduct that placed a child at risk, upholding termination of an Alaska Native mother's parental rights after she repeatedly allowed a violent adult son back into the home over four years.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min readAI
He overturned his termination but still lost his daughter
The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Jonah B. permanently lost his daughter to adoption because he did not challenge her adoption decree within the one-year statutory period, even though a prior ruling had reversed the termination of his parental rights.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
The state made a plea deal, then broke it. A court just said no.
The Alaska Court of Appeals ordered a Point Hope man resentenced after a substitute prosecutor broke his plea agreement by arguing for the maximum sentence instead of the agreed term.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
The state must bridge the language gap before ending parental rights, court says
The Alaska Supreme Court ruled child-welfare workers must accommodate non-English-speaking parents before terminating parental rights, a protection rooted in the state's 20-plus Native languages.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska Supreme Court puts Petersburg's Dan Sullivan back on August ballot
The Alaska Supreme Court reversed Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom's disqualification of Daniel James Sullivan Jr. of Petersburg, ordering him onto the August primary ballot alongside incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan and leaving the Division of Elections to find a way to distinguish the two names for voters.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska's high court reversed a decision to end a Native mother's parental rights — over how the state made its case
The Alaska Supreme Court reversed the termination of a Native mother's parental rights, finding the state's cultural expert testimony failed to meet the Indian Child Welfare Act's standard.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska appeals court identifies DUI jury instruction tension in Homer case
The Alaska Court of Appeals affirmed a Homer man's DUI conviction Thursday but directed the Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions Committee to fix a conflict in standard instructions that could deny defendants their statutory right to raise a post-driving drinking defense statewide.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
If you're facing a custody or divorce case in Alaska, these rules apply from day one
A statewide Alaska court standing order automatically bars parents in contested divorce and custody cases from removing children from the state, selling marital property, or canceling insurance.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
A judge says Alaska can't keep the second Dan Sullivan off the Senate ballot
An Anchorage judge ordered the Division of Elections to place Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the Aug. 18 Republican Senate primary ballot, alongside incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
A judge weighs whether Alaska gets two Dan Sullivans
An Anchorage judge will rule Friday on whether a second "Dan Sullivan" can join Sen. Dan Sullivan on Alaska's primary ballot, as a ballot-printing deadline looms.
by Cale Green2mo ago3 min read
Supreme Court narrows damages path in prison religious-rights cases
Supreme Court ruling in Landor v. Louisiana narrows prisoner religious damages claims, with echoes from Alaska's 2019 Hall v. Alaska DOC Goose Creek settlement
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Juneau's federal court office keeps closing, with no end in sight
The U.S. District Court closed its Juneau clerk's office on June 12 and 15 over staffing shortages — the latest in a string of 2026 closures.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska Supreme Court upholds ICWA termination, clarifies standards
The Alaska Supreme Court on Friday affirmed termination of two Indian children's parents' rights under ICWA, issuing Opinion No. 7727 that clarifies the dual evidentiary burden Alaska courts must apply in such cases statewide.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Federal judge blocks removal of petitioner from Alaska in Alebw case
Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason issued an amended temporary restraining order Wednesday blocking the removal of a petitioner from Alaska, keeping the individual in the state while the court considers the underlying dispute.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska judicial watchdog names new director after 37 years
The Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct appointed Michael Schwaiger as executive director effective June 15, replacing Marla Greenstein after her 37-year tenure at the state's judicial ethics oversight agency.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska Supreme Court rules on retaining-wall boundary dispute
The Alaska Supreme Court resolved a property-line dispute between neighbors over a retaining wall. The opinion offers guidance for boundary conflicts involving retaining structures.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Ketchikan Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand seeks retention
Katherine Lybrand, appointed to Ketchikan Superior Court in 2022, faces her first retention election in November 2026. She handles criminal, family, and child welfare cases in Ketchikan and Petersburg.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska Judicial Council seeks Kotzebue Superior Court applicants
The Alaska Judicial Council reopened recruitment for a Kotzebue Superior Court judge after Paul A. Roetman announced his retirement. The seat serves Northwest Alaska's Second Judicial District.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Palmer Courthouse finally gets funding for long-needed expansion
The Alaska Court System is moving forward with a $4.95 million expansion to address growing judicial demand in the state's fastest-growing borough, with bids due May 25 and construction starting by mid-August—a concrete response to Mat-Su's population pressures that larger outlets haven't covered at the procurement stage.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska Supreme Court clarifies active-efforts standard in Jace B. ICWA case
The May 29 opinion in Jace B. v. State (S-19490, No. 2035) addresses whether OCS met ICWA's active-efforts requirement when seeking to terminate parental rights to a newborn identified as an Indian child through tribal eligibility. The court applies existing doctrine to fact-specific circumstances rather than rewriting the framework.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI