Chief Justice Walter L. Carpeneti of the Alaska Supreme Court, whose term as chief justice ends this month, announced Friday he will retire from the court Jan. 31.
Carpeneti said he is giving early notice of his retirement because the process for filling a judicial vacancy is a long one, according to a news release from the Alaska Court System Friday morning.
"Our judicial selection process is one of the best in the world," said Carpeneti in a statement, "but it takes time. I want to ensure a transition that creates as little hardship as possible."
Carpeneti was appointed to the Alaska Superior Court in Juneau in 1981 by Gov. Jay Hammond, with voters keeping him in that position in 1986, 1992 and 1998.
In 1998, Gov. Tony Knowles appointed Carpeneti to the Alaska Supreme Court, and he was retained by voters in 2002. He currently serves as second vice president on the board of directors of the national Conference of Chief Justices.
Alaska's Constitution adopted a system for selecting judges based on merit, which requires a lengthy evaluation of judicial candidates by the Alaska Judicial Council. The evaluation includes detailed applications, extensive investigation of applicants, polling of all lawyers in the state, public hearings, interviews, nominations to the governor, and appointment by the governor.
Carpeneti has urged all judges contemplating leaving the bench to give six to eight months notice to allow a replacement to be ready to serve as soon as possible upon their departure from office, according to the Alaska Court System.