Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Judicial District First Kootenai topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate approves bill adding district judge in Kootenai County amid caseload growth
Summary
Senate Bill 10-28 passed the Idaho Senate 27-8 on Feb. 6 to add a district judge position to the First Judicial District, to be chambered in Kootenai County, citing population and filings growth.
BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Senate on Feb. 6 approved Senate Bill 10-28, adding a district judge position in the First Judicial District and specifying the new judge be chambered in Kootenai County. The bill passed final consideration by a vote of 27 in favor and 8 against.
Sponsor remarks during third reading described the state's seven judicial districts and said new judicial seats are created by statute to address growth and case-load needs. "This is an additional district judge in the first judicial district ... chambered in Kootenai County," Senator Lakey said, noting Kootenai County is among the fastest-growing counties and that judges there are seeing the highest filings per judge across the state.
Senator Lakey told senators that the requested judge responds to a need to provide due process and timely hearings across the district. Debate was brief; after the close of debate the Senate called the roll and recorded 27 ayes and 8 nays. With a majority in the affirmative, Senate Bill 10-28 passed and will be transmitted to the House for further action.
The bill is a statutory change to the distribution of judicial positions across judicial districts and does not itself name a specific appointee. It places the new judicial chamber in Kootenai County and responds to the district's workload pressures as described on the floor.
