Idaho
Idaho’s highest court is the Idaho Supreme Court. The court has four justices and one chief justice, who is selected by a majority of the other justices to serve a four-year term. (Source: Idaho Constitution)
Judicial Selection
Justices are chosen for the Idaho Supreme Court through a nonpartisan election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat. The elected justice serves a six-year term and may seek additional terms through nonpartisan elections. When a seat on the court opens in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor appoints a judicial candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. The appoinnted justice holds office for the remainder of the unexpired term. There are no term limits, nor is there a mandatory retirement age.
State Constitution
Idaho’s first and only constitution was adopted in 1889. As of January 1, 2022, it had 127 amendments. (Source: Council of State Governments)
Filters
Why We Should Care About Diversity on the Bench
New data shows women and people of color are underrepresented on state high courts.
Supreme Court and Election Law Still Feel the Fallout 25 Years After Bush v. Gore
The 5–4 decision started a long slide in public approval for the court, accentuated by a widening partisan gap.
Bush v. Gore Introduced a Fringe Theory that Threatened Elections Decades Later
The “independent state legislature theory,” shut down in 2023 by the U.S. Supreme Court, would have robbed state courts of the power to review state laws related to federal elections.
Judging Democracy: A Former Justice Reflects on Bush v. Gore 25 Years Later
The legal battles over the 2000 presidential election were the beginning of a cautionary tale reminding us that democracy does not sustain itself.
Everyone Benefits When Judges Come from a Variety of Backgrounds
Amid attacks on “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the need for representative state supreme courts is as urgent as ever.
The Role of History and Tradition in State Court Abortion Cases
Some state courts weighed historical evidence and found abortion rights protections, diverging from the U.S. Supreme Court’s approach in Dobbs.
States, Not the President, Run Elections in America
The administration’s attempts to undermine or interfere with elections run afoul of constitutional delegations of responsibility.
The Extra Hurdle in State Courts to Prove a Statute Violates the U.S. Constitution
Many states require a litigant challenging a statute as violating the U.S. Constitution to prove the statute is unconstitutional “beyond a reasonable doubt.”