Idaho judges warn of shrinking applicant pool, ask Legislature to consider new judges for growing districts

Three Idaho district judges told the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee on a committee hearing day that fewer lawyers are applying for judicial openings and that the courts are increasingly relying on senior-judge coverage and travel between counties to manage rising caseloads.

Judge Rick Carnaroli, the administrative judge for Idaho’s Sixth Judicial District, told the committee that district- and magistrate-judge applications have dropped from a historical average of about 11 applicants to about 4.6 in the most recent year, and that several recent district openings drew only three applicants. “We don’t have as many applicants as we used to have five years ago,” Carnaroli said, adding that the bench loses valuable experience when judges retire or leave for other work.

The judges told senators that the consequences include reduced mentoring and fewer senior judges available to cover trials and calendars. Carnaroli reported seven retirements in the last fiscal year, four of which he said resulted in judges leaving…