Idaho Court of Appeals


The Idaho Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court for the state of Idaho. The court was created by statute by the Idaho Legislature and began operations in 1982.

Jurisdiction

The Court of Appeals hears cases assigned to it by the Idaho Supreme Court. The only exceptions to this jurisdiction are capital murder convictions and appeals from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission and the Idaho Industrial Commission, which must be heard by the Supreme Court.

Judges

The Court of Appeals includes four judges. Cases are heard by three-judge panels.
PositionNameAppt. byTook office / Length of serviceTerm expiresEducation, prior positions
Chief Judge

BSU ; University of Idaho College of Law ; intern law clerk for Judge J. Blaine Anderson, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ; law clerk for Judge Harold Ryan ; private practice at Evans Keane.
Associate Judge

BSU ; UC Hastings College of Law ; Idaho Legal Aide Services ; private practice at Park, Costello & Burkett ; solo practitioner ; District Judge in Canyon County, Idaho 3rd Judicial District.
Associate Judge

Idaho, University of Idaho College of Law ; deputy public defender and deputy prosecutor for Bonneville County; State Appellate Public Defender ; District Judge in Canyon County, Idaho 3rd Judicial District.
Associate Judge

UNC Greensboro; UNC ; University of North Carolina School of Law ; private practice at Givens Pursley ; Appellate Unit in the Criminal Division at the Idaho Attorney General's Office.

Succession of seats

NameAppointerTerm
Donald BurnettJohn Evans1/4/1982–1/16/1990
Cathy SilakCecil Andrus9/1/1990–2/25/1993
Karen LansingCecil Andrus6/7/1993–6/30/2015
Molly HuskeyButch Otter7/2/2015–present

NameAppointerTerm
Roger SwanstromJohn Evans1/4/1982–1/31/1993
Darrel PerryCecil Andrus8/6/1993–9/29/2009
John MelansonButch Otter9/30/2009–
Jessica LorelloButch OtterOctober 2017–present

NameAppointerTerm
David GrattonButch Otter1/5/2009–present