What is Alaska Court of Appeals?

The Alaska Court of Appeals is an intermediate court of appeals for criminal cases in the State of Alaska's judicial department , created in 1980 by the Alaska Legislature as an additional appellate court to lessen the burden on the Alaska Supreme Court. The court of appeals consists of a chief judge and three associate judges, who are all appointed by the governor of Alaska and face judicial retention elections every eight years; the chief judge of the court of appeals is selected from among the four by the chief justice of the supreme court to serve a two-year term.

The court of appeals hears oral argument from lower state trial courts on a regular basis in Anchorage.