Update on Canyon Co. Public Defender

The Idaho Press-Tribune is reporting that Third District Administrative Judge Juneal Kerrick has appointed a committee of three local attorneys to consider public defender candidates

Committee members are Gregg E. Lovan (Lovan and Roker), Christopher Nye (of White, Peterson) and William H. Wellman (Owyhee County PD). The panel will review the applicants and recommend between three and five to the Canyon County commissioners. The new contract will be effective Aug. 1.

Klaus Wiebe and Scott Fouser each submitted an application. Also applying are:

• Bond Law Chartered (Virginia Bond-until recently a Canyon County Deputy Prosecutor)
• Dodge Law Office (Shari Dodge - in private practice, former Canyon County Deputy Prosecutor and candidate for Canyon County Prosecutor)
• Gordon Petrie (recently retired District Judge, associated with Gulstrom & Henson, long-time Gem County Magistrate, former Nez Perce County Prosecutor)
• Chad Gulstrom (A former Canyon County Deputy Prosecutor in private practice since 2001)
• Ryan Henson (another former Deputy Canyon County Prosecutor, was also a deputy prosecutor in King County, Washington)
• Mark Mimura (Mimura Law and Gem County PD).

Update: Skelly from the excellent blog "Arbitrary and Capricious" (there's a link on the Recommended Sites box to your right) says that it's "interesting to note the number of former long-time prosecutors on the list who've found a new interest in indigent defense."