Courts
RSSAlaska court system, rulings, filings, federal cases affecting Alaska, Alaska Court of Appeals, Alaska Supreme Court decisions, judicial retention
A judge says Alaska can't keep the second Dan Sullivan off the Senate ballot
A judge put the second Dan Sullivan on the GOP Senate primary ballot, beside the senator he's named like. The state had no "good-faith" rule to keep him off.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min readAIAlaska
Daniel J. Sullivan sued the state today over a denied Senate ballot spot
Denied a Senate ballot spot, Daniel J. Sullivan sued today. Lawmakers held a hearing on the same question the same afternoon.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Alaska AG voids contested Area M salmon regulations after ethics challenge
Alaska attorney general voided five salmon regulations after board members failed to disclose conflicts of interest. • Fishing groups won relief through ethics enforcement instead of court. • Regulations would have restricted fishing time and added chinook catch closures. • Board must restart the process to readopt any rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
24 bottles of R&R, grounded short of Shungnak
Bargain whiskey, $400 a bottle: Fairbanks airport police seized 24 bottles of R&R bound for a dry village, street value $9,600.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min readAIFairbanks, Alaska
A judge weighs whether Alaska gets two Dan Sullivans
Will the real Dan Sullivan please stand up? We're gonna have a problem here. Y'all act like you never seen two Sullivans before. J's all on the floor, like the "S" walked in and slammed the door.
by Cale Green5d ago3 min readAnchorage, AK, USA
Alaska Charges 15 in $1.8 Million Medicaid Fraud Sweep
Alaska has charged 15 people in five Medicaid fraud cases totaling $1.8 million — though every count is, for now, an allegation no court has tested.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Supreme Court upholds ICWA termination, clarifies standards
Alaska Supreme Court upheld termination of parental rights for two Native children, clarifying courts must meet criminal-level proof and show active efforts to preserve families under federal Indian Child Welfare Act rules.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAIAlaska
Former Anchorage attorney pleads guilty to federal drug-trafficking charge
Former Anchorage attorney Timothy Benintendi pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking, using his legal position to distribute oxycodone and buprenorphine between 2021 and 2023.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
House Republicans examine $24.8M in federal attorney fees to environmental groups
House Republicans examined $24.8M in federal attorney fee awards to environmental nonprofits from 2019 to 2024. • Critics say uncapped fee-shifting laws let nonprofits bill at rates far above market rates, sometimes 700 percent markups. • Alaska mining, oil, and timber projects have faced years of litigation delays funded partly by taxpayer attorney fee awards.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago4 min readAIWashington, District of Columbia
Pebble Mine's challenge to EPA reaches an Anchorage court Thursday.
Pebble vs. EPA hits Anchorage federal court Thursday. The salmon, the State of Alaska, and a major mineral deposit all want a say.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Supreme Court tax-sale ruling puts spotlight on Alaska foreclosure proceeds
The Supreme Court narrowed tax-sale payouts Tuesday. Anchorage's tax-foreclosure auction is Wednesday. No, that's not a lot of time.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Senate passes immigration enforcement bill 52-47, splitting Alaska delegation
Three years of ICE funding, a fight over the 'weaponization' fund, and Alaska's senators split
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIAlaska
Palmer Courthouse finally gets funding for long-needed expansion
Palmer courthouse is getting a $4.95 million expansion with three new courtrooms after five years of the heaviest caseloads in Alaska, with construction to start by August 2026.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAIPalmer, Alaska
Alaska Supreme Court clarifies active-efforts standard in Jace B. ICWA case
Alaska Supreme Court ruled in Jace B. case that state caseworkers must meet a higher active-efforts standard under federal Indian Child Welfare Act when confirming a newborn's tribal status before any move to terminate parental rights.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAIAlaska
Supreme Court narrows damages path in prison religious-rights cases
SCOTUS just made it harder for prisoners to sue individual guards for money over blocked religious practice. Alaska settled under this law in 2019.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIAlaska
AG Nominee Cox Defends 110+ Amicus Briefs, Faces Questions on Alaska Priorities
Attorney General-designee Stephen Cox defended signing Alaska onto approximately 110 amicus briefs in eight months during his Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing, while senators questioned whether these national cases distract from Alaska-specific priorities like domestic violence prosecution.
by Alaska News2mo ago4 min readAIJuneau, AK, USA
Judge voids H-1B fee Alaska schools said threatened rural hiring
Alaska has to hire a lot of teachers from out of the country, so an additional $100k per teacher would have been...unsustainable to say the least.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min readAIAlaska
Federal judge blocks removal of petitioner from Alaska in Alebw case
Federal judge to ICE: you can keep him detained, but he stays in Alaska — and yes, we noticed you tried to put him on a plane.
by Alaska News2w ago2 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill raising special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also unanimously approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to cut case backlogs from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Alaska Launches New Online Form for Vulnerable Adult Abuse Reports
Alaska's Division of Senior and Disabilities Services launched a new federally compliant online form consolidating all reports of harm to vulnerable adults and critical incidents into one system.
by Alaska Newsadded 1mo ago2 min readAIAlaska
Federal court bars respondents from moving detainee before June 17 hearing
A federal judge blocked Alaska officials from moving a detainee out of state before a June 17 hearing in Anchorage on a habeas petition.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2w ago1 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Alaska judicial conduct commission to hold rare probable cause hearing this spring
by Alaska News2mo ago3 min readAISitka cemetery caretaker Bob Sam honored after decades of quiet service
Bob Sam of Sitka received the 2026 First Lady's Volunteer Award for more than 30 years of quietly maintaining and restoring the community's cemeteries as he steps back from the work.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Judicial Council seeks Kotzebue Superior Court applicants
Kotzebue needs a judge. those can be very hard to find.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAIAlaska
Bristol Bay tribes fight to defend EPA veto of Pebble Mine in court
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAIBristol Bay
Alaska Senate Panel Weighs Tougher Hit-and-Run Penalties
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on legislation that would establish a 4-7 year presumptive sentencing range for fatal hit-and-run crashes involving criminal negligence.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago3 min readAIJuneau, AK, USA
Bank of America Files Four Debt Suits Against Kenai Residents in One Day
Bank of America filed four debt collection lawsuits against Kenai Peninsula residents on May 5, 2026, part of a pattern of collection activity that raises questions about whether the bank is pursuing debts it may have already sold.
by Alaska Newsadded 1mo ago1 min readAIKenai
Senate panel advances Salazar to Human Rights Commission
The Senate Judiciary Committee forwarded Grace Salazar's nomination to the Alaska State Commission on Human Rights to a joint session for confirmation.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago2 min readAISenate
Federal appeals court clears Alaska to release NPR-A drilling data
A federal appeals court ruled Alaska can release ConocoPhillips exploration well data from the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska after the state's confidentiality period expires, rejecting the company's claim that federal law blocked disclosure.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 4w ago2 min readAINational Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
Alaska lawmakers urge federal reclassification of 911 dispatchers
The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony on a resolution urging Congress to reclassify emergency dispatchers from clerical workers to protective service personnel, granting them access to federal training and mental health resources.
by Alaska News2mo ago3 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
Juneau's federal court office keeps closing, with no end in sight
Alaska's capital has a federal court counter. Staffing it is apparently optional — closed again this month, with no word on when it reopens.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
Anchorage resident takes Assembly removal case to U.S. Supreme Court
Anchorage resident Dustin Darden asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block his removal from an Assembly meeting after he used public comment time to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and discuss his Christian faith instead of the streetlight ordinance being debated.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Veterans sentencing bill advances despite concerns over court authority
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on HB 299, which would allow veterans convicted of misdemeanors to enter therapeutic programs over prosecutor objections, with state officials warning of litigation risks over separation of powers.
by Alaska News2mo ago5 min readAIJuneau, AK, USA
Senate panel advances two nominees to Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board
The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended two gubernatorial appointees — Anna Cometa seeking a second term and Joel Hard, a new nominee with 40 years in law enforcement — for confirmation to the Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board, which has seen a 32% increase in applications since 2022.
by Alaska News2mo ago3 min readAIJuneau
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill increasing special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to reduce case backlog from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAIPalmer
Alaska limits disability employment training to 50 care coordinators
Alaska is limiting a free online course on employment services for people with disabilities to the first 50 care coordinators who register, raising questions about workforce training capacity statewide.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAIAlaska
Stone Soup Group finale teaches families IEP advocacy for disabled youth
Stone Soup Group hosts its final Transitions Series event on May 30, 2026, teaching families of disabled youth how to advocate at IEP meetings and navigate disability policy in Alaska.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAI5530 E. Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99504
Senate Finance hears bill expanding civil rights protections to nonprofits
The Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 23, which would extend workplace discrimination protections to approximately 44,000 Alaskans employed by nonprofits and rename the Human Rights Commission.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago4 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Senate considers tougher penalties for hit-and-run deaths
The Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee heard testimony on legislation that would create enhanced penalties for drivers who flee fatal accidents without rendering aid.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAISenate Community & Regional Affairs
House Judiciary Advances Bill Restoring PFDs for Wrongfully Convicted
The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation allowing Alaskans whose criminal convictions were overturned to claim past Permanent Fund Dividends they were denied while incarcerated.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago4 min readAIJuneau, AK, USA
