Gov. Dunleavy fills Palmer Superior Court seat

Gov. Dunleavy has appointed Kristen C. Stohler, a private lawyer from Palmer, to the Palmer Superior Court.

This comes nearly one month after Dunleavy threw the Alaska Judicial Council for a loop,

refusing to appoint one of their provided nominees

to the position.

On March 21, 2019, Gov. Dunleavy announced his selections to fill four Alaska Superior and District Court Judgeships. At that time, Gov. Dunleavy declined to fill a second vacancy on the Palmer Superior Court, citing his desire to receive additional information regarding the nomination process from the Alaska Judicial Council.

According to the Governor's Office, days following the letter of refusal, Gov. Dunleavy had a "fruitful and productive" meeting with Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice, Joel H. Bolger, stating that his concerns had "been satisfied."

According to a press release from the Governor's office, Kristen Stohler has over 12 years of legal experience in the state of Alaska. Since 2011, she has run a private practice in Palmer with a focus on domestic relations cases, and has previously worked as a public defender, guardian ad litem, and parent’s attorney in Child in Need of Aid matters. Stohler has additional experience working in therapeutic courts and with the Palmer Early Resolution Project. She received her BA in Political Science from the University of Vermont in 1996, and received her Juris Doctorate in 2006 from Vermont Law School where she graduated cum laude.