Alaska Beat

Judicial Council to voters: Say no to Postma

According to numerous sources, the Judicial Council recommends that this November, voters retain 27 of the 28 judges on the ballot. The only one left out? Anchorage District Court Judge Richard Postma. In a release, the council supported its disapproval of Judge Postma with an ethics complaint and boorish behavior it says is due to a poor capacity to handle the job of being a district court judge. Read and listen to more from APRN, here. The Anchorage Daily News reports that Judge Postma criticized the Judicial Council's statement by saying, in part, that he hasn't violated any laws while on the bench and that he hasn't had a chance to defend himself against the ethics complaint. Postma won't have that chance until December, after the election. Postma's lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, said, "In terms of a judicial disciplinary case, this is very unusual, if not unprecedented. My concern is making sure the truth comes out and Judge Postma gets a fair hearing and a chance to confront his accusers." The report also notes that Judge Postma's problem with the court system began when he raised concerns of racial prejudice on the part of certain court employees. Read more, here.

ADVERTISEMENT