Justice
Anchorage judge hears request to dismiss Eastman eligibility lawsuit
An attorney representing the Alaska Division of Elections said Friday in court that the agency should not be in charge of deciding whether Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman is ruled ineligible to serve in the Alaska Legislature. Eastman and the division are facing a lawsuit that seeks to declare Eastman in violation of the Alaska […]
Congressional panel debates federal role in preventing youth incarceration
WASHINGTON — Members of a U.S. House Education and Labor Committee panel on Thursday questioned experts and leaders of youth rehabilitation programs about how the federal government could invest in programs to prevent kids from becoming incarcerated. “Although the juvenile justice system is intended to rehabilitate—not punish—young offenders, data shows that the more a young […]
Kenai Peninsula Borough paid more than $260,000 to settle complaints against Pierce
The Kenai Peninsula Borough paid $267,000 to settle a pair of workplace complaints alleging bullying and discrimination by Charlie Pierce, the borough’s departing mayor and a Republican candidate for governor. Only one of the settlements has been previously disclosed to the public. Copies of the settlements were first published by Juneau radio station KINY after […]
Alaska Department of Corrections reports 11th death in custody of 2022
The Alaska Department of Corrections has announced the 11th death of a person in custody this year. Bernie Alexia, 76, died in Goose Creek Correctional Center on Sept. 4, according to a Corrections press release on Tuesday. The department said it was an “expected death.” With about four months left in the year, Corrections has […]
Anne Sears is no longer Alaska’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons investigator
After five months on the job, Anne Sears is no longer Alaska’s investigator for missing and murdered Indigenous people with the Alaska State Troopers. When the Department of Public Safety hired her in April, the position was the first of its kind in the state. Now, the critical role is unfilled. In late August, Sears […]
Eastman stays on ballot for now as Anchorage judge declines to determine eligibility before printing
An Anchorage Superior Court judge has said he will not determine whether Republican Rep. David Eastman is eligible to hold state office before ballots are printed for the Nov. 8 general election. Wednesday’s order from Judge Jack McKenna denied a request for an expedited schedule amid a lawsuit challenging Eastman’s placement on the ballot. The […]
After public safety shift, Alaska State Troopers have first Black leader
The deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety is retiring, and as part of the shift to replace him, the department has named its first Black colonel, Maurice “Mo” Hughes. James Cockrell, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, announced the changes to reporters on Wednesday morning. Current DPS Deputy Commissioner Leon […]
Two people die after just one day in Alaska corrections custody this month
Janet Minock got a knock on her apartment door the morning of Aug. 23. It was two Anchorage Police Department officers telling her that her 35-year-old daughter, Nastashia Minock, was dead. According to Janet Minock, the police officers told her this: Nastashia was found unresponsive at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center around 1:30 a.m. Aug. 23. […]
Former Juneau hospital senior employee arrested Thursday for theft
A former senior level employee at Juneau’s hospital was arrested early Thursday evening for allegedly stealing $108,000 from the medical institution. Bradley Grigg, former chief behavioral health officer at Bartlett Regional Hospital, was indicted in Juneau Superior Court on Thursday on two counts of theft in the first degree. Bartlett Regional Hospital is owned by […]
Dunleavy transition-firings lawsuit, begun in 2019, won’t end before 2023
A legal dispute that began when Gov. Mike Dunleavy took office in 2018 will not be resolved before this year’s gubernatorial election. Last week, a federal judge set a 2023 timeline for a trial to set financial damages in a case involving Libby Bakalar, one of four state employees who sued Dunleavy, his former chief […]
Alaska Supreme Court upholds law targeting international tax havens
The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Alaska Department of Revenue and against a multinational corporation that sought to overturn a state law limiting corporations’ ability to hide assets in international tax havens. On Aug. 5, the court ruled that the law does not violate either the Commerce Clause or Due Process […]
Justice Department watching Alaska election for language and disability compliance
The U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday it is monitoring Alaska’s election to ensure compliance with two laws, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The effort is aimed at maintaining compliance with the voting law’s minority language requirements and the disability act’s accessibility requirements, the department said […]