Courts to consolidate Wrangell magistrate spot, Troopers to fill vacancy

Summer has found Wrangell with a pair of vacancies in the realm of law and order, with the retirement of its magistrate judge at June's end and the transfer of its Alaska Wildlife Trooper on July 11.

Chris Ellis had worked the magisterial track within the Alaska Court System for 30 years before retiring last month. Spending the first half of her service on the Seward Peninsula and Prince of Wales Island, Ellis served the court in Wrangell for 14 years.

With her departure, ACS has decided to consolidate the position with surrounding courts. Magistrate Desi Burrell of the Petersburg court has been appointed to cover a portion of Wrangell's caseload, such as felony first offenses and long-term domestic violence protection orders.

Judge Kevin Miller of Ketchikan will continue to come to Wrangell on a monthly basis as before, but will handle minor offenses and small claims in addition to his ordinary caseload.

A level-two deputy magistrate, Leanna Nash will continue her duties at the Wrangell courthouse, handling a variety of other legal items. With the shift in staffing, she explained the court office will begin operating on a more flexible schedule around lunchtime to allow her to handle mail and other assorted tasks. Those in need of court services are advised that between 11:45 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. the office may be closed, beyond its usual noon-1 p.m. break.

Area court administrator Neil Nesheim acknowledged the decision is a reaction to reductions to the ACS budget. Along with other state agencies and departments, over the past three years the court system has taken cuts to its allocations amounting to $7 million, or six percent.

Over the same period, filings and dispositions in the Wrangell court have mostly fallen, following a wider statewide trend. While ACS has turned to various efficiencies in office supplies and higher court fees to offset these reductions, staffing attrition has also been felt in courts across the state, with duties consolidated where possible.

"We're still in a budget crunch,'' Nesheim noted.

The system is still trying to find ways to save money, including a shift to e-filing of court documents begin piloted at the Kenai court.

Meanwhile, Trooper Dave Bozman recently accepted a position with the division of State Troopers in Fairbanks, taking off earlier this month. He had come to Wrangell in February 2017 after an assignment in Soldotna.

Trooper information officer Megan Peters explained AWT intends to retain the Wrangell post, replacing Bozman as soon as possible. In the meantime, officers from other Southeast posts will conduct routine patrols in the Wrangell area.

Wrangell's post had been slated to be cut back during the 2015 budget cycle, as legislators grappled with a ballooning spending deficit driven by dropping petroleum prices. An effort to save the position on the part of the public and district representation was successful, and through two turnovers since the post has been preserved.