Courts
RSSCourts in Alaska is the network of state and federal judicial bodies that decide cases affecting the state. It spans the Alaska Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Superior and District Courts, the Judicial Council and federal courts, covering lawsuits, sentencings and judicial retention votes.
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Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
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July 2026
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson visits UAF on July 14 to take questions
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the Court's first Black woman and first former public defender — visits UAF on July 14 to take Alaskans' questions.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
June 2026
A soldier died guarding Fort Wainwright's gate. The drunk driver who hit him will serve 17 years.
A North Pole woman will serve 17 years for a drunk-driving crash that killed a soldier guarding Fort Wainwright's gate. Her blood alcohol was nearly four times the limit.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
If you're facing a custody or divorce case in Alaska, these rules apply from day one
From the day an Alaska custody or divorce case begins, neither parent can take the kids out of state, sell marital property, or drop insurance without agreement or a judge's OK.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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 Green4mo ago3 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
More from Courts
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
North Slope, Fairbanks, Valdez sue over pipeline tax values
Three Alaska municipalities sued June 22 over how pipeline companies value their assets for local taxes, challenging assessments that affect borough and city revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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 4mo ago2 min readFrom 
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 4mo ago2 min read
A federal court said it can order states to fix foster care. Alaska's case looms.
A federal court said it can order Alaska to fix foster care. Alaska's AG said please don't. Lawsuit pending.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago3 min read
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 5mo ago1 min read
Coming up
Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct Special Public Meeting
Online only: Zoom (Meeting ID 992 469 9010; call-in 1-206-337-9723)
Hearing
Alaska Supreme Court oral argument: Governor Michael J. Dunleavy, in his official capacity v. Alaska Legislative Council, on behalf of the Alaska State Legislature
Hearing
Alaska Supreme Court oral argument: David Gottstein v. Robert Mintz; and The Restated Barnard J. Gottstein Revocable Trust (As Amended), by and Through its Co-Trustees Laird Norton Trust Company, Robert Mintz, and David Le Clair
Hearing
Alaska Supreme Court oral argument: John P. Shannon Jr., D.C. v. Peter Nelson and State of Alaska, Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs
Hearing
Alaska Supreme Court oral argument: Kay Rieck v. Kaiser-Francis Oil Company and Aurora-KF, LLC
Hearing
About Courts
Courts in Alaska take in the state and federal judicial bodies that decide cases arising in the state. The state system runs from the District and Superior Courts through the Court of Appeals to the Alaska Supreme Court, and federal cases go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judges hear criminal prosecutions and sentencings, civil lawsuits, divorce and custody disputes, and appeals of state agency decisions. Recurring questions include election and voting disputes, the rights of people under arrest, taxes, and fights over land and resources.
The Alaska Judicial Council evaluates judges, who face retention votes. Court rulings connect to crime and public safety, elections and government, as they shape how laws are applied and how state agencies work.
More from Courts
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
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 News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska judicial watchdog names new director after 37 years
Michael Schwaiger becomes executive director of Alaska's judicial ethics watchdog on June 15, ending Marla Greenstein's 37-year tenure leading the agency that investigates complaints about judges.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Supreme Court rules on retaining-wall boundary dispute
Alaska Supreme Court ruled courts may weigh competing surveys to locate true property lines, not treat one marker as conclusive, affecting homeowners who build retaining walls near lot lines.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Ketchikan Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand seeks retention
Ketchikan Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand, appointed in 2022, is seeking voter retention in November 2026 after handling criminal, family, and probate cases across the First Judicial District.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Judicial Council seeks Kotzebue Superior Court applicants
Kotzebue needs a judge. those can be very hard to find.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
May 2026
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 5mo ago2 min read
Judge allows state to resume helicopter bear kills during lawsuit
Judge Adolf Zeman denied a request to stop Alaska's helicopter bear control program across 40,000 square miles of southwest Alaska, allowing the state to resume spring killings while a lawsuit challenging the program's legality continues in court.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
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 News5mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
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 5mo ago2 min readAlaska 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska limits disability employment training to 50 care coordinators
Alaska is offering a free online disability employment training course to the first 50 care coordinators who register, with a June 30 deadline to complete it for six continuing education hours.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readStone Soup Group finale teaches families IEP advocacy for disabled youth
Stone Soup Group hosts a free workshop May 30 in Anchorage teaching families how to advocate for disabled students at IEP meetings and navigate state and federal policies.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readSitka cemetery caretaker Bob Sam honored after decades of quiet service
Bob Sam, who spent over 30 years maintaining Sitka's cemeteries and working on Alaska Native repatriation, received the 2026 First Lady's Volunteer Award on May 12.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readAlaska Launches New Online Form for Vulnerable Adult Abuse Reports
Alaska launched a new online form May 8 for reporting suspected abuse of vulnerable adults, combining four separate systems into one to speed up required 24-hour reporting.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readBank of America Files Four Debt Suits Against Kenai Residents in One Day
Bank of America filed four debt collection lawsuits against Kenai-area residents in early May 2026, according to Alaska Court System records.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago1 min readAG Nominee Cox Defends 110+ Amicus Briefs, Faces Questions on Alaska Priorities
Attorney General-designee Stephen Cox defended his rapid pace of joining national legal briefs as senators questioned his focus on Alaska priorities.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Veterans sentencing bill advances despite concerns over court authority
House Bill 299 would let judges override prosecutors to place veterans in misdemeanor treatment courts, but prosecutors and court officials warned of separation of powers litigation.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read