[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6315346,"mediaKeyId","2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6","parentId",2379602,"title","Alaska Court System: pending cases falling overall, but judges and staff warn outliers remain and continuance practice is under review","audioSeconds",2457,"startMs",4613000,"endMs",7070000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6&start=4613&end=7070","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6/thumbnail_4613000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6315346/Alaska/Alaska-Court-System-pending-cases-falling-overall-but-judges-and-staff-warn-outliers-remain-and-continuance-practice-is-under-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6315346-198517d0075fd8df72147c8303eef3d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171479&Signature=mYQMuvGzWCDiVSx50Ii7CxDtQmadxFMUCc0fBZfcOM-T8-HMSBvwdq-ibIJEf98Y8DCkybb283OZbaZpTtTqYR~DPSTDcVikD33j88oFXHHxTu~shLezMxMAO4zp~zL7ogBTXeIVr9TbDL52aQdFPU79u8~ne7FMqp0EpdEPvTR8KckkLJWAWfL8gLS1280oBNvlLTdzRRoft4f2fl3JY31T9aPLbpRjNAOwguP-niyLMSNI02g3lyLluAq6u0Uh6IRNGD1wM2qyqI01b~oaoT5AqmNeZoEQVjyWpNW21O1va9NuiW3lwCRZ5x5bL3rswsalRd4P8nWVaB1uAuEbFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","article","Nancy Mead, general counsel for the Alaska Court System, told the House Finance Committee on Feb. 21 that the number of pending cases has dropped substantially in the past year and that the court system is working with prosecutors and defenders to reduce outliers that produce extremely long pretrial delays.

Mead said the system’s point‑in‑time count fell from over 15,000 pending cases on Jan. 1, 2024 to about 10,000 on Jan. 1, 2025. She characterized that shift as a sign the system is \"on a good trajectory,\" while acknowledging that serious outliers remain and are \"unacceptable.\" The court’s median times to disposition are substantially shorter than the longest delays critics have highlighted: Mead told the committee that median disposition times are about six months for many misdemeanors and C‑level felonies, and that A‑felony matters commonly take longer (she cited three years as an illustrative median for the most serious felonies).

Presiding judge order and continuance guidance
Mead and Associate Counsel Noah Klein described a presiding judge order dated Feb. 8, 2024 intended to tighten continuance practice. The order and related guidance tell judges and parties that certain routine bases for continuances—such as waiting for a plea offer or general outstanding discovery—are not ordinarily considered good cause for an initial extension, and that courts should make case‑specific findings before excluding time from the speedy‑trial clock.

Budget items and staff vacancies
The court system told the committee it is largely funded through the state general fund and that personnel costs are the largest component of its budget. The court reported a vacancy rate that has trended downward (from a peak near 13.3% to about 10.1% in the last calendar year) and said the current vacancy rate is near the funded level of 7.2%. The system’s FY26 UGF package asked for facility and lease cost adjustments (the court requested $552,000; the governor’s budget included $362,000), a final true‑up for court‑visitor costs that moved to the court system in prior sessions, and two therapeutic‑court positions partially funded by the Mental Health Trust.

Why it matters: Courts are the forum where discovery, continuances and disclosure obligations play out. The court system said it is taking administrative steps to accelerate disposition when parties are ready and to build clearer records when continuances are granted.

Ending: Mead and Klein urged continued coordination among the courts, prosecutors and defense counsel to keep cases moving; they requested modest facility and personnel adjustments in FY26 and said they would return with more detail if the committee requests further breakdowns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","02/21/2025 01:30 PM House FINANCE","oneSentenceSummary","Nancy Mead, general counsel for the Alaska Court System, told the House Finance Committee that pending case counts have fallen and that the court is tightening continuance practice while seeking modest facility and staffing adjustments for FY26.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6315352,"Criminal division requests prosecutors, flags Brady disclosures and rising post‑conviction caseloads",104,5721000,5825000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6&start=5721&end=5825","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6/thumbnail_5721000.jpg","/articles/6315352/Alaska/Criminal-division-requests-prosecutors-flags-Brady-disclosures-and-rising-postconviction-caseloads","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6315352-54eeca7d8e1953ee99e6e492347cc132/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171479&Signature=N2T6M594ozQYztP6p8ZnPBjPLy--7WuBuyhO-DO1qsypyhK3MCc~aO2u7lJoxkHKw~4s-kVed604j9~vLQqQ2EFYaNVjBHJSj80u3UwabPYDSvFKnCOsrZHpsZH2CCWEmg8xm-vHQ~9oWt13Xzq7ByL3H4~fWovwx-S1KLshLN5gJsB2RILvxaT4eu9PjzmB084VgSoSVMm8YgaMObtK0my5kncnAPbW69g9Q0hbHhuI3nh0ysApphHMBxG2h4zmGPsDFDJCyLfT7GqgyoD9G2mSkCN~vIckTr66dlE9codifWG87SXJD6W6WGCxr5hzw4Vd1jSUo9goOM8to7aUAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Attorney General John Skidmore told the House Finance Committee on Feb. 21 that Alaska’s Department of Law criminal division is asking for additional prosecutors in several high‑caseload offices, and flagged growing workloads tied to impeachment disclosures (Brady/Giglio), post‑conviction relief (PCR) cases and the exponential growth in digital discovery.

Skidmore said the division aims for an average caseload target of about 100 matters per prosecutor but many offices exceed that standard. He used three offices to illustrate the need: Dillingham (one prosecutor managing 289 open cases, including 109 felonies), Palmer (11 prosecutors with roughly 2,700 cases total; Skidmore cited an example average of 253 cases per attorney in one comparison slide) and Ketchikan (high caseloads in Southeast). He said the department’s FY26 request included three prosecutors, a paralegal and a law‑office assistant for those locations, plus support for Brady and PCR workloads.

Brady, PCR and discovery pressures
Skidmore said the division had flagged more than 400 \"alerts\" tied to potential impeachment material in officer files that must be evaluated case‑by‑case and disclosed where applicable. He said there are roughly 376 pending PCRs (collateral post‑conviction petitions) in the system; managing those can require civil‑style discovery, depositions and extensive file reviews.

Skidmore told the committee the division seeks a dedicated Brady prosecutor and a post‑conviction attorney to handle the most serious PCRs, and asked for support staff to manage discovery and evidence review. He described discovery growth driven by body‑worn cameras and phone data as an agency‑wide problem that will require coordinated solutions with the Public Defender Agency and the court system.

Why it matters: Prosecutor staffing, Brady disclosures and PCR workloads directly affect trial readiness, case disposition timelines and the state’s ability to meet disclosure obligations. Skidmore said the department will object more aggressively to continuances that lack necessary justification to help reduce time to disposition.

Discussion vs. action: Skidmore described the division’s staffing request and described operational changes (more frequent objections to unnecessary continuances) but there were no formal votes. Committee members asked for more information on caseload standards and whether additional positions would materially change average workloads.

Ending: The division urged modest, targeted growth in prosecutor headcount and support staff to reduce caseloads, speed dispositions and manage disclosure obligations for law‑enforcement personnel files; it also said that resolving these pressures will be incremental and require coordination with courts and defense counsel.","Deputy Attorney General John Skidmore told the House Finance Committee the criminal division seeks additional prosecutors for high‑caseload offices, is managing more Brady/Giglio disclosure alerts, and wants dedicated support for post‑conviction relief work and impeachment (Brady) processing tied to law‑enforcement personnel files.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6315357,"Attorney General outlines statehood defense funding history and requests repeat increment for FY26",131,3707000,3838000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6&start=3707&end=3838","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6/thumbnail_3707000.jpg","/articles/6315357/Alaska/Attorney-General-outlines-statehood-defense-funding-history-and-requests-repeat-increment-for-FY26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6315357-b7957e3204d0d9748ec967422ae42567/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171479&Signature=a5zkWgm2NwJVqztqO5VuCDI-c8COyMsN5XiRapzpMA~9bvR70tBomuvtKOvjfyaEqyLKdkyl1fc~9oLGsRmDW4mHaXOTRsDA2fH5ba2VGQhdF5BeVUZC92F3mF7E7Hooc2SgF4~o6KHL9S88-br~dsoh8Qzltq4CZoJaDJ7eNbphvoS9edygJVU-wwF8aTt52uFbOJr76ZFEfRFv9ai2TPnDNMVxL82raOlkbtj6c1CsToRP0x-urCsQskNG4KedwDVnEuZauuAhVZxNqKXY-VAbT~n3IJAVX6sC3RAlP0yZ3WrrLZQMMYISxINtq9pr2DTaFjS0eeAuKigFMO7RLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Attorney General Traig Taylor told the House Finance Committee on Feb. 21 that the Department of Law’s civil side represents most state agencies and has relied on a combination of appropriations and reimbursable receipts to fund litigation, including ‘‘statehood defense’’ cases defending Alaska’s resource and administrative authorities.

Deputy Attorney General Corey Mills said the Civil Division employs about 44 attorneys and roughly 250 total staff. She told the committee the division was recruiting for nine attorney positions, three law‑office assistants and one paralegal, down from a high vacancy period when the division had many more openings.

Statehood defense funding history and current request
Mills outlined prior multiyear appropriations the department has used for federal‑court defense work: multi‑year pots (for example earlier $4,000,000 and $2,000,000 increments) and a $5,000,000 fiscal‑year 2024 appropriation the department is still spending against. She said about $1.7 million of the FY2024 $5,000,000 pot had been spent as of the department’s December accounting and that federal litigation spend trends have generally been $2–3 million a year. For FY26 the department asked the legislature to repeat a $500,000 temporary increment; the Governor’s proposal included a lesser amount.

Why it matters: The civil division represents nearly all state agencies in litigation, from consumer protection and antitrust to claims involving public‑lands development and federal agency actions. Changes in federal policy and the arrival of a new administration may change the mix and pace of litigation, but Mills cautioned that litigation often does not terminate immediately with a change in federal policy because existing cases and third‑party litigants remain active.

Other civil‑division points
- The civil division bills many of its services to client agencies; roughly half of its budget is reimbursable from those agencies.
- The department is projecting about 30 civil‑division employees eligible for retirement within five years and is focusing on building bench depth.
- Mills described the special litigation section (complex, multistate and consumer‑protection litigation) as a concentrated resource that handles high‑discovery, high‑complexity matters.

Discussion vs. action: The Attorney General requested continued funding flexibility for statehood defense and asked for a repeat of the $500,000 increment for FY26. No formal vote occurred; the committee will review the department’s budget request during the normal FY26 appropriation process.

Ending: Taylor and Mills said they would return with more detailed spend projections and case lists as the litigation climate becomes clearer; Mills told members she expected some cases to persist for one to two years even if federal policy shifts reduced new filings.","Attorney General Traig Taylor and Deputy AG Corey Mills told the House Finance Committee the Department of Law has used multi‑year and one‑time increments for statehood defense litigation, is monitoring litigation levels under a new federal administration and is requesting a $500,000 increment for the coming year.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6315362,"Public Defender Director: hiring, training and digital discovery are driving next budget questions",2003,497000,2500000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6&start=497&end=2500","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2379602-01b80b606b6b68576e102134b17c0cd6/thumbnail_497000.jpg","/articles/6315362/Alaska/Public-Defender-Director-hiring-training-and-digital-discovery-are-driving-next-budget-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6315362-cd8d0538c230a14bba306292e952125a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171479&Signature=P0jUwImjPPBnd1jmmfnlZmv~y0oOAWExu00XYwudRvoY4owDukJV2fFQ6iyQ5Mkueq0DHGAn8egT8VSEf12-SkZ~CR7Q-7xddkpCGmLlGoUCJmx149emnx6sNbuHTvMPSoF~~d-YerMZZ907Avtk4L7Vwnt-F25WstLDezyaeooyFXWFo8~DSqEmmr0xTg-yTaUUAQnmO-Cg6US~wAc2lJ1dBq~QxS2hADwv0aSMDCDUbxySANmiWhT2apUgBozQSn7eOHnwGU9F2a-ocd5Om8wogGyzRHwejtfg8k7-JjS-vKgkYF~cXtzNSbTlRue1nfXeSQlM7rAtHAoOsV60KQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The appointed public defender for the state of Alaska, Terrence Haas, told the House Finance Committee on Feb. 21 that the agency has made progress reducing its overall caseload but continues to face recruitment, training and discovery-management challenges that could drive future budget requests.

Haas said the Public Defender Agency handles roughly 83–85% of indigent defense appointments made by the courts and that most of the agency’s work is criminal defense, with smaller teams focused on family defense and appeals and post‑conviction petitions. He told committee members the agency carried about 8,936 open and active cases in January of fiscal 2025, down from about 14,000 in 2021 and about 10,000 in 2020.

Haas said the agency has 129 permanent positions (PCNs) statewide; at the time of his testimony 7 PCNs were filled by attorneys who had been hired but not yet arrived, and 11 PCNs remained open and recruiting. He said the Public Defender Agency has 13 offices across Alaska, with the largest offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Palmer, and that recruiting for remote offices remains difficult. \"I want to fill every spot,\" Haas told the committee.

Why it matters: The agency is a frontline component of Alaska’s criminal‑justice system; vacancy-driven delays and inexperienced attorneys can slow case resolution and produce downstream costs in contracting and appellate work. Committee members repeatedly pressed about trial backlogs and whether current staffing and training will be enough to continue reducing overall caseloads.

Supporting details
- Practice-area staffing: Haas said roughly 20 lawyers focus on family defense, 15 on appeals and post‑conviction work and 5 on administration; the rest primarily handle criminal litigation.
- Vacancies and hiring: Total PCNs 129; 7 positions had hires not yet arrived and 11 remained open and recruiting during testimony. Haas described a new deputy focused on recruitment, training and retention to reduce turnover among junior attorneys.
- Caseload trend: Haas said beginning court appointments have come down modestly since 2020; he described a peak in active cases in 2021 (~14,000) and steady decline to ~8,936 in FY2025.
- Training and retention: Haas emphasized that newly minted lawyers ‘‘know almost nothing about how to practice law’’ and that the agency prefers to start new lawyers on misdemeanor calendars and provide intensive supervision and training to reduce risk of later reversals or post‑conviction work.
- Digital discovery: Haas warned that the exponential growth in digital evidence (body‑worn camera footage and large file sets) is creating new time and storage burdens. He said the agency will likely request technology and processing resources in a future budget but wants coordination with the Department of Law and other agencies to ensure compatible systems.

Discussion vs. action: Haas described the agency’s operational priorities and said he had no large new budget request for FY 2026 but signaled future requests may focus on discovery processing, storage and support for training. He credited recent legislative increases in attorney pay and temporary contracting authority for relieving immediate pressure; he did not present any formal motions or votes.

Ending: Committee members followed with questions about office coverage for Utqiagvik (managed out of Fairbanks), how long new hires are expected to remain in remote postings, and whether the agency’s plan to hire and train new lawyers will materially speed resolution of pretrial backlogs. Haas said progress is visible but slow and that the agency will continue to press recruitment and training efforts while coordinating with other justice actors on discovery and backlog issues.","Terrence Haas, the appointed public defender for Alaska, told the House Finance Committee the agency has reduced caseloads since 2021 but still faces vacancies, heavy training needs for new lawyers and rising costs from digital evidence that will likely produce future budget requests.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Alaska Court System: pending cases falling overall, but judges and staff warn outliers remain and continuance practice is under review

Criminal division requests prosecutors, flags Brady disclosures and rising post‑conviction caseloads

Attorney General outlines statehood defense funding history and requests repeat increment for FY26

Public Defender Director: hiring, training and digital discovery are driving next budget questions