Idaho Supreme Court
Highest court in the U.S. state of Idaho
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Idaho Supreme Court is the state supreme court of Idaho and is composed of the chief justice and four associate justices.
1890 - State
| Idaho Supreme Court | |
|---|---|
| |
 Interactive map of Idaho Supreme Court | |
| Established | 1863 - Territorial 1890 - State |
| Location | 451 W. State St. Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
| Composition method | non-partisan state-wide staggered elections |
| Authorised by | Idaho State Constitution |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of the United States (for matters involving federal law or the U.S. Constitution only) |
| Judge term length | 6 years 4 years (Chief Justice) |
| Number of positions | 5 |
| Website | Official website |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | G. Richard Bevan |
| Since | January 1, 2021 |
The decisions of the Idaho Supreme Court are binding on all other Idaho state courts. The only court that may reverse or modify its decisions is the Supreme Court of the United States.
The court moved into its present building in 1970; it was previously housed in the nearby state capitol building.
Justices
Justices are elected in non-partisan statewide elections and serve staggered six-year terms. Elections are held in the state primary, now in May, with run-off elections in November. The Chief Justice is selected by an election among the five justices and term length for that office is four years.[1] Prior to 1983, the position went to the justice with the least time remaining in his term.[2]
The court originally had three justices; it was expanded to five in 1921.
Current justices
| Name | Born | Start | Chief term | Term ends | Appointer | Law school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G. Richard Bevan, Chief Justice | May 5, 1959 | September 27, 2017 | 2021–present | 2030 | Butch Otter (R) | BYU |
| Robyn Brody, Vice Chief Justice | February 13, 1970 | January 2, 2017 | – | 2028 | N/a[a] | Denver |
| Gregory W. Moeller | May 1, 1963 | January 3, 2019 | – | 2026 | Butch Otter (R) | BYU |
| Colleen Zahn | October 7, 1973 | July 1, 2021 | – | 2028 | Brad Little (R) | Idaho |
| Cynthia Meyer | December 2023 | – | 2026 | Brad Little (R) | Utah |
- Not appointed, won nonpartisan election for open seat
Vacancies and pending nomination
| Vacator | Reason | Vacancy Date | Nominee | Nomination Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G. Richard Bevan | Retirement | October 30, 2026[3] | Jason Scott | August 18, 2026[4] |
Women on the Supreme Court
The first female justice on the Idaho Supreme Court was Linda Copple Trout, appointed in 1992 by Governor Cecil Andrus and elected in 1996 and 2002. She remains as the state's only female chief justice (1997–2004). The second female justice was Cathy Silak, appointed by Andrus in 1993 and elected in 1994. She lost her reelection bid in 2000 to Dan Eismann and became the first incumbent justice from the court to be defeated since 1944.[5][6]
After Trout's retirement in 2007, no women were on the court until the election of Robyn Brody in 2016 to a vacant seat, the first by a female; she is the only justice on the current court not first appointed. Colleen Zahn joined the court in 2021, appointed by Governor Brad Little; Brody and Zahn ran unopposed in 2022. With Little's appointment of Cynthia Meyer in 2023, the court currently has a female majority.
List of chief justices
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| G. Richard Bevan | 2021–present |
| Roger Burdick (2) | 2017–2020 |
| Jim Jones | 2015–2017 |
| Roger Burdick | 2011–2015 |
| Dan Eismann | 2007–2011 |
| Gerald Schroeder | 2004–2007 |
| Linda Copple Trout | 1997–2004 |
| Charles McDevitt | 1993–1997 |
| Robert Bakes | 1989–1993 |
| Allan Shepard | 1987–1989 |
| Charles Donaldson | 1983–1987 |
- Election by peers began in 1983.[2]
Video coverage
The Idaho Supreme Court first permitted live video and audio coverage from its chambers in late 1978.[7]