Stegner appointed to Supreme Court

Latah County 2nd District Court Judge John R. Stegner learned Tuesday he has been appointed to the Idaho Supreme Court vacancy left by retiring Justice Warren Jones. The appointment was made by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter after more than two months of deliberation.

Stegner said he was thrilled at the appointment and is honored to serve the state.

"I am extremely honored to have been chosen by Gov. Otter to fill the open seat on Idaho's Supreme Court," Stegner said through a news release. "I will do my utmost to live up to the responsibility placed on me."

Stegner was one of four finalists nominated by the Idaho Judicial Council and sent to the governor's desk in March. He applied for the position in November and, on April 20, interviewed with Otter and some of his staff members, including Lieutenant Gov. Brad Little and lawyers Sam Eaton and Sarah Hugues. When Stegner received the appointment call Tuesday morning, a message was relayed to him from his office that Eaton had called and wanted to speak with him.

"Because it was Sam Eaton calling, I actually assumed I hadn't gotten the position because I assumed the call would come from the governor," Stegner told the Daily News.

Once on the phone with Eaton, though, the phone was passed to Otter, who relayed the appointment. The appointment makes Stegner the only North Idaho Supreme Court justice.

"Judge Stegner's record alone speaks volumes about his commitment to the law, his community and our state," Gov. Otter said in a news release. "He understands and has the professional acumen and civic virtue to address the underlying issues impacting Idaho's courts. Justice Stegner will be a great addition to Idaho's appellate bench."

Stegner graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law and has been a Moscow-based district judge since January 1997, after being appointed by then-Gov. Phil Batt in November 1996. He was previously in private legal practice with the Lewiston firm Clements, Brown and McNichols, P.A., for 12 years, clerked for the late U.S. District Judge Harold Ryan for two years and worked periodically for his family business, Stegner Grain and Seed Co. He also managed Otter's first statewide campaign in 1978.

Stegner received the Idaho State Bar Distinguished Jurist Award in 2017, the Sheldon A. Vincenti Award for exemplary service to the UI law school in 2014 and the George G. Granata Jr. Award from the Idaho Judiciary for demonstrated professionalism in 2012.

Stegner said he and his wife, Laurie, will relocate to Boise upon the conclusion of Laurie's contract with the Pullman School District, likely in mid-June. She teaches English at Pullman High School.

"I'm excited. It's bittersweet in certain respects," Stegner said. "My wife and I have lived here for the last 21 years and have thoroughly enjoyed it."

Stegner said among his greatest accomplishments on the Palouse has been the formation of the Latah County Drug Court in January 2002 and the Latah County Mental Health Court in July 2012. Those courts were formed out of frustrations Stegner noted during his time on the bench.

"We were approaching addiction in the wrong way," Stegner said, noting he often saw repeat offenders and was only able to put them on probation and tell them not to do it again. "It was just kind of a revolving door."

Through those specialty courts, individuals were able to be enrolled in treatment programs that include regular check-ins with a probation officer and an eventual graduation from the program.

"It's really the most gratifying work I do as a judge," he said. "I get people at graduation coming up to me and saying, 'Thank you for giving me my son or daughter back.' It doesn't get better for me as a judge to see that."

Stegner said he hopes to see the programs continue to flourish. He added he also enjoyed serving on the bench in Latah County.

"Drug court and mental health court have been great, and I've also enjoyed the hurly-burly of trial court," he said. "It's been an invigorating and rewarding career. I'm hoping I'm well positioned for the next phase of my career."

Stegner said the details of when he will be sworn in are still being worked out, and he will continue his position here until that time. The process to find his replacement will likely begin soon. That process includes having the Idaho Judicial Council declare the vacancy and then begin taking applications. Interviews will be conducted, and two to four names will be forwarded to the governor's desk for consideration. The governor will be obligated to pick out of that pool, just as he was with the pool for the Supreme Court justice position.

"It's a pretty straightforward process," Stegner said. "I will be surprised, though, if my replacement is named before September, given the process and the time it takes."

In the interim, Stegner said he has spoken with Jay Gaskill, administrative district judge, about having Carl Kerrick, a former district judge in Lewiston who has filled in for him in the past, step into the position.

"It would be natural," Stegner said. "As a senior judge, he's eligible to fill in for a needed vacancy. My hope is he will be able to."

Kerrick said he has spoken with Gaskill in the past about the possibility but not since Stegner's appointment.

"I'm planning on it (filling in)," Kerrick said.

Kara McMurray can be reached at (208) 883-4632, or by email to kmcmurray@dnews.com.