By Hon. Jessica Lorello

This year has been filled with celebrations for the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The importance of the rule of law is central to the Declaration’s meaning and purpose. As lawyers, we must be steadfast in upholding the core principles reflected in the oath we have taken to support the rule of law, including the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Idaho. As the executive head[2] of Idaho’s unified judiciary, Idaho’s Chief Justices are stewards of that shared commitment.

Article V, section 6 of the Idaho Constitution provides that the Idaho Supreme Court’s Chief Justice “shall be selected from among the justices of the Supreme Court by a majority vote of the justices” and shall serve a term of four years. As of this writing, there have been 43 Chief Justices of the Idaho Supreme Court, six of whom I interviewed for this article. Even though the names have changed over time and will continue to change in the future, the mission has stayed the same – protecting and preserving the rule of law. 

Robert Bakes – 36^th Chief Justice (1989-1993)

Although I never had the opportunity to appear before Justice Robert Bakes while he was a member of the Idaho Supreme Court, I had the pleasure of interviewing him by telephone for this article. The day we arranged to talk was the same day as the 2026 Idaho State Bar annual meeting at Jack’s Urban Meeting Place (JUMP) in downtown Boise. Serendipitously, Justice Bakes was being recognized at the evening reception for his 70 years of service to the Idaho State Bar. From one of the rooftop patios at JUMP, I learned about some of the highlights of Justice Bakes’s distinguished career.

Justice Bakes’s path to the Idaho Supreme Court was unique. After graduating first in his class from the University of Idaho College of Law, Justice Bakes moved to another “I” state where he was a professor of law at the University of Illinois College of Law.[3] After that, Justice Bakes returned to Idaho and practiced law for several years before being appointed to the Idaho Supreme Court in 1971. Justice Bakes served on the Court for more than twenty-one years, including a term as Chief Justice just prior to his retirement in 1993. During his time on the Idaho Supreme Court, Justice Bakes advocated for a fundamental change in Idaho’s judiciary, and a change close to my heart: the creation of the Idaho Court of Appeals in 1980, which began operations in 1982. Justice Bakes was also active in Bar Association activities, serving as Chairman of the Appellate Judges Conference of the American Bar Association, and as President of the Idaho Law Foundation.

Justice Bakes’s tenure with the Idaho Supreme Court was also marked by tragedy. One of Justice Bakes’s colleagues on the Court, Justice Charles Donaldson, died in 1987 after suffering a heart attack while swimming.[4] Another colleague, Justice Allan Shepard, died less than two years later in 1989.[5] Justice Bakes reminisced that he and Justice Shepard played in a makeshift band together when the Court travelled to Eastern Idaho – Shepard played the drums and Bakes played the banjo. Joined by a local trumpet player, a local piano player, and Justice Shepard’s wife, Donna, the group would “jam” until about 11:00 at night. At Donna’s request, Justice Bakes gathered the musicians he and Justice Shepard played with and performed When the Saints Go Marching In at Justice Shepard’s funeral.    

After retiring from the Idaho Supreme Court, Justice Bakes returned to private practice where his work focused on mediation and arbitration. Justice Bakes’s interest in this area started while he was on the Court and he and Justice Byron Johnson started an Idaho Supreme Court mediation program. In this program, Justices Bakes and Johnson would mediate cases prior to resolving the case through the normal appellate process. For his part, Justice Bakes successfully mediated all nine cases assigned to him. Justice Bakes noted that he found a great deal of satisfaction in mediating disputes among family members. He described one of his most memorable cases which involved family members who began the process unable to be in the same room at the outset of mediation, but ultimately embraced after the case was resolved.

Talking to Justice Bakes was a true pleasure and an important reminder that we should all take the opportunity to learn about the members of our shared profession every chance we get.  

Linda Copple Trout – 38^th Chief Justice[6] (1997-2004)

I had the privilege of sitting down for an interview with Linda Copple Trout on a spring afternoon in June of this year. Justice Trout was the first former Chief Justice I interviewed for this article, which seemed fitting since she was also the first Idaho Supreme Court Justice to question me during my maiden oral argument before the Court in 2005. As we sat down to visit more than twenty years later, in the more relaxed environment at Roast & Vine, I was excited to learn more about Justice Trout and her path to the judiciary.

Linda Copple Trout was not only the first woman to serve on the Idaho Supreme Court; she was also Idaho’s first female Chief Justice. Justice Trout began her legal career in Lewiston, Idaho after graduating from the University of Idaho College of Law.[7] After six years in private practice at the law firm Blake, Feeney and Clark, Justice Trout ascended to the bench as a magistrate judge.[8] From there, Justice Trout successfully ran for a district judge position.[9] Not long after, in August 1992, Justice Trout was appointed to the Idaho Supreme Court by Governor Cecil Andrus.

Five years into Justice Trout’s tenure on the Idaho Supreme Court, her fellow justices selected her to serve as the Chief Justice to succeed Justice Charles McDevitt.[10] Justice Trout’s term as Chief began February 1, 1997,[11] and she served two consecutive terms in that role. For many, Justice Trout’s term as the first female Chief Justice was historically significant. Indeed, the title change led to one attorney asking her if he should refer to her as “Chief,” the same as he would for Justice Trout’s male predecessors. The answer was “yes.” Although the title had only been held by men, both the title and the role are gender neutral.

As with any individual serving as a justice, life experiences and background necessarily inform one’s perspective, but for Justice Trout being Idaho’s first female Justice and then Chief Justice had no impact on applying the rule of law in the cases before the Court.  While those outside the Court may have watched the change in leadership closely, inside the Court, the change was merely representative of a natural transition based on the general tradition of allowing all justices the opportunity to serve in that role.

Notable changes occurred in Idaho’s judiciary during Justice Trout’s tenure as Chief. In 2001, the Idaho Legislature enacted the Idaho Drug Court Act, which marked the beginning of the first statutorily authorized treatment courts in Idaho.[12] Although a self-described introvert, Justice Trout made it a priority to visit all 44 counties during her time as Chief Justice. Justice Trout noted the importance of visiting with deputy court clerks across Idaho to learn how the Court could better meet their needs. This work ultimately resulted in the creation of court assistance offices – a critical component of our modern judicial system.

In addition, Justice Trout took particular interest in families and children in the court system, including children placed in foster care in child protection cases. In those cases, Justice Trout was struck by the then-practice of placing a child’s belongings in a garbage bag when the child was removed from the home. In response, Justice Trout worked to find a way to start a new program that would provide backpacks for those children. Justice Trout noted that her special interest in foster children was inspired by her own experience in foster care. After Justice Trout was born at Tokyo Army Hospital in Japan, the doctor asked another physician colleague (B.I. Copple) if he knew anyone who would be interested in adopting a baby girl. After consulting with his wife, Copple said he and his wife would. The Copples served as foster parents to Justice Trout until they officially adopted her when she was two and one-half years old. Justice Trout describes her parents as “wonderful” and credits them as inspirational figures in her life.[13]

Justice Trout remained on the Court for about three years after the conclusion of her second term as Chief Justice. When Justice Trout retired from the Court in 2007, she continued to serve the judiciary in other capacities. As a senior judge, Justice Trout participated in cases for the Court on a pro tem basis and handled administrative matters for the judiciary. The administrative piece became the focus of Justice Trout’s work for the Court between 2014 and 2016 when Justice Trout became the Interim Administrative Director of the Courts – bridging the gap between the prior director, Patti Tobias, and the current director, Sara Omundson. Justice Trout’s experience at all levels of the judiciary gave her a unique perspective in this role. As the interim director, Justice Trout was tasked with a variety of duties ranging from fiscal operations to making recommendations for improvements to the judicial system.

Justice Trout’s impact on the Idaho judiciary cannot be overstated. She has been a trailblazer in ways big and small and she has been an extraordinary public servant and a leader both on and off the bench. I have long admired her intellect and still wish I could have matched it when fumbling through my answers to her questions back in 2005….

Gerald Schroeder –39^th Chief Justice (2004-2007)

Justice Gerald Schroeder and I met at Bardenay in Garden City on a sunny Friday afternoon in June. Despite the warm weather, Justice Schroeder was wearing what I consider one of his signature corduroy sport coats. Justice Schroeder was, as he has always been, generous with his time.

Justice Schroeder began his judicial career as a probate judge where he was responsible for managing the entire probate system, acting as the judge, administrator, human resources officer (hiring and managing approximately 18 staff members), and even acting as clerk when the probate clerks were out with health issues. Justice Schroeder recounted that, for about one month, he would return to the courthouse after dinner and work from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. doing probate clerk work. Justice Schroeder’s responsibilities also included juvenile detention and probation. After about two years in that position, Justice Schroeder became a magistrate judge. Then, in 1975, he was appointed as a district judge in the Fourth Judicial District where he spent thirteen years as the Administrative District Judge. After twenty years on the district court bench, Justice Schroeder was appointed to serve on the Idaho Supreme Court in 1995. In 2004, Justice Schroeder was selected to serve as Chief Justice. Justice Schroeder’s administrative experience both in the probate court and the district court prepared him well for the Chief Justice’s administrative role.

As Chief Justice, Schroeder viewed his primary responsibility as “keeping things internally cohesive” and ensuring “internal harmony.” It was important to him to be prepared and to take his role seriously. He endeavored to present the judiciary in the best light and he always wrote his own address for the annual State of the Judiciary presentation to the Idaho Legislature. One of the most significant changes during Justice Schroeder’s time as Chief Justice related to advancements in computerization of court records.

Although Justice Schroeder retired from the Idaho Supreme Court in 2007, he has continued to support the judiciary in a variety of capacities, including serving pro tem on the Court’s cases, and presiding over jury trials in district court. Justice Schroeder has also taken his appellate skills to the district court, handling numerous intermediate appeals from the magistrate court. But Justice Schroeder notes his most rewarding court-related work since retiring from the Idaho Supreme Court was as a hearing officer for Snake River Basin Adjudication claims from 2007 to 2010. Justice Schroeder commented that the “quality of issues and lawyering” he experienced during that time was “outstanding.”

When asked what he would like his legacy to be, Justice Schroeder answered that he never felt the need to establish a legacy. Even so, Justice Schroeder hopes his time as Chief Justice resulted in harmony on the Court and opinions that provided clarity and could be relied on by future jurists and litigants.

On a personal note, my earliest memory of Justice Schroeder was from my first Idaho Supreme Court oral argument in 2005…yes, that same oral argument when Justice Trout was also on the Court. Whether it was the result of mercy or something else, Justice Schroeder rescued me from my fumbling answers with the pointed question: “Isn’t this just harmless error?” That sounded like a good resolution to me. Cheers, Justice Schroeder!

Roger Burdick – 41^st Chief Justice[14] (2011-2015; 2017-2021)

There is a famous American sitcom that ran for 11 seasons (from 1982 to 1993) that you may remember from watching it when it originally aired, watching it in syndication, or seeing clips of one of its iconic recurring scenes.[15] The sitcom is Cheers and the scene is when the character Norm Peterson (played by George Wendt) entered the Boston bar to the enthusiastic greeting: “Norm!” This greeting was, of course, symbolic of the chorus from the show’s theme song Where Everybody Knows Your Name by Gary Portnoy, which comforts the listener with the idea that there is a place “Where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.”[16]

What does this have to do with Roger Burdick? For me, Justice Burdick is Idaho’s Norm Peterson. The similarities include a background in numbers (Burdick was a bank examiner before becoming a lawyer and Norm was an accountant before becoming a house painter); the curly hair; the easy smile; and the good humor.[17] While I suspect there are many venues across the state that could operate as a version of Cheers for Justice Burdick, he introduced me to one when we arranged a time to meet – Ansots[18] in the Pioneer Building on Main Street in Boise. There we enjoyed coffee (Burdick), cappuccino (me), and the most divine kouign amann fresh out of the oven. It was a place where everyone knew Justice Burdick’s name: “Roger!”

I could fill an entire issue of The Advocate recounting Justice Burdick’s stories about his career in the judiciary; for now, I will hit a few of the highlights. After working seven years in private practice, Justice Burdick was selected as a magistrate judge in Jerome County. As a magistrate judge, Justice Burdick saw the need to teach parents involved in child protection and termination of parental rights proceedings how to develop the skills needed to reunify with their children. Justice Burdick noted: “Everyone wants to be a good parent,” they just might not have learned the skills to do so. To address this issue, Justice Burdick identified a funding source for support services. Justice Burdick also focused on juveniles in the court system and found innovative ways to help them during the process.

After twelve years on the magistrate bench, Justice Burdick was appointed to the district court bench in the Fifth Judicial District. Justice Burdick’s time on the district court bench included an appointment to preside over the Snake River Basin Adjudication, a meaningful assignment for him because of his interest in history generally and water rights in particular.

The next stop in Justice Burdick’s judicial journey was the Idaho Supreme Court. Justice Burdick was appointed to the Court in 2003, after which he served a four-year term as Vice Chief Justice from 2007 to 2011, followed by a four-year term as Chief Justice from 2011 to 2015. Justice Burdick was selected by his fellow justices for a second term as Chief following Justice Jim Jones’s retirement at the end of 2016.[19]

Justice Burdick’s second stint as Chief Justice was from 2017 until his retirement in 2021. Managing Idaho’s judiciary through COVID defined much of Justice Burdick’s last years on the Court and was his most significant challenge as Chief Justice. He described the challenges of COVID as requiring the “creation of a court system from the ground up with only two to three weeks’ notice.” Justice Burdick explained that, during that time, he “didn’t care about the noise” – he focused on protecting the courthouses and reducing risk to court staff and those who had court business. Justice Burdick also credited the judges across Idaho for their part in promoting and maintaining this unifying theme during turbulent times.

Beyond the courtroom, Justice Burdick has participated in the judicial selection process dating back to his time as a magistrate judge. He was the first magistrate member of the Idaho Judicial Council and was involved in the selection of magistrate judges when he was the Administrative District Judge in the Fifth Judicial District. In addition to being the first magistrate member of the Judicial Council, Justice Burdick was also a member of the Council when he was a district judge and was the ex-officio chair of the Council when he was Chief Justice. Justice Burdick describes his involvement in the selection of judges as one of his most important roles as a member of the judiciary. He predicts that, in total, he has been involved in the process responsible for selecting over 70 judges in Idaho…this author included.    

Notwithstanding Justice Burdick’s protestations against describing what he hopes is his legacy, I persuaded him to tell me how he would like to be remembered. His answer: that he “tried to get better every day and told the truth.” As for his advice for future Chief Justices, Justice Burdick said: “Be proud of the fact that you are a member of an independent and equal branch of government.”

One final note. At one point during our conversation, Justice Burdick commented: “I am the luckiest guy in whatever room I am in.” That morning at Ansots, I felt the same.

Jim Jones – 42^nd Chief Justice (2015-2016)

I met with Jim Jones for coffee at Dawson Taylor[20] on a sunny late spring morning. I could spend hours talking to Justice Jones about his storied life and career, but I did my best to stay focused on the task at hand – discussing Justice Jones’s time as Justice and Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court. Other than a few deviations to have him autograph my copy of his book Vietnam…Can’t Get you Out of My Mind and to talk logistics for a speaking engagement for Constitution Day, I hopefully stayed on task.   

Justice Jones was elected to the Idaho Supreme Court in 2004 and re-elected for a second term in 2010.[21] In 2015, Justice Jones’s fellow justices selected him to serve as Chief Justice.[22] Justice Jones served in that role from August 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016; he was succeeded by Justice Roger Burdick.[23] Although Chief Justice terms are generally four years, Justice Jones’s time as Chief Justice was shortened due to his retirement beginning in 2017.[24] However, during his tenure as Chief, Justice Jones thought it was important to “set the tone” for the role of the Court and the rule of law. Justice Jones also brought administrative experience and lessons learned during his service as Idaho Attorney General to the administrative responsibilities of the Chief Justice. This experience included an understanding of the political environment in which the judiciary operates.

Justice Jones also brought his experience as a litigation practitioner to contribute to improving discovery procedures in state courts. In furtherance of this goal, Justice Jones participated in the formation of a committee that was tasked with “bringing discovery procedures into the 21^st century.” Justice Jones’s inspiration was, in part, the product of seeing cases languish during discovery, which significantly increased attorney fees. One improvement Justice Jones thought particularly important was implementation of a rule requiring initial disclosures.

If you have followed Justice Jones’s work after retirement from the Court, you know that he has devoted much of his time to significant and sometimes controversial legal issues related to voting and public-school funding. What you may not know is that, on January 13, 2017, less than two weeks into his retirement, Justice Jones was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Knowing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg faced the same diagnosis and successfully completed treatment gave Justice Jones hope that he could do the same. And, the same he did, while also sharing that hope with others who later received the same diagnosis.

Having interacted with Justice Jones on a handful of occasions since his diagnosis and recovery, it seems it never slowed him down in pursuing meaningful and important work on behalf of others. As just one example, Justice Jones established the Equal Justice Committee to advocate for refugees and help them become established in Idaho. This work is just one example of Justice Jones’s amazing legacy.   

As for his legacy on the Court, Justice Jones hopes he is remembered, in part, for writing opinions, sometimes concurring opinions, in a way that encouraged lawyers to “use ingenuity to better handle a case.” In his view, if a court opinion closed one door, that did not mean the opinion should serve as a roadblock to a different type of solution to a problem. Justice Jones also wouldn’t mind his legacy including the fact that he was the first (and so far only) Justice to include the phrase “butt load of money” in an Idaho Supreme Court opinion.[25]

G. Richard Bevan – 43^rd Chief Justice (2021-2026)

When the Idaho Legal History Section Chair sent a “call for articles” email in April, I made a semi-formed proposal to write something loosely described as “a historical retrospective on Idaho’s Chief Justices,” primarily inspired by Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan’s retirement announcement that same month. The chair accepted my proposal (thank you, Christopher Graham!) and, well, you’re nearly through my current contribution to history!

I first met Justice Bevan when he was a district judge in the Fifth Judicial District. At that time, Justice Bevan was presiding over a post-conviction case, which included a week-long evidentiary hearing in Twin Falls.[26] My experience there was consistent with what many have observed: Justice Bevan is a role model for thoughtful decision-making and judicial temperament. As a member of the Fifth District Bench, Justice Bevan shared those qualities in Mental Health Court and Veteran’s Treatment Court, and he applied his leadership skills as the Administrative District Judge for eight years. 

After nearly fourteen years on the district court bench, Justice Bevan was appointed to the Idaho Supreme Court in 2017. In 2021, the justices selected Justice Bevan to succeed Justice Burdick as Chief Justice. The impacts of COVID were still present for the judiciary when Justice Bevan took over the reins as Chief. Following the lead of his predecessor, Justice Bevan continued to consult experts on best practices with respect to distancing restrictions in the context of court operations. This required Justice Bevan to issue additional COVID-related orders as required, including the final order lifting all restrictions, which was issued in January 2023.

But COVID did not mark the end of challenging times for the judiciary. One challenge was presented by the need for the judiciary to move all of its stored data to the cloud, which required significant collaboration with all of Idaho’s counties. The transition was, however, a critical step toward protecting a vast amount of information, both confidential and public, from increased cyberattacks targeting the courts. As Chief Justice, Bevan also oversaw growth on the administrative side, including expansion related to security, treatment courts, and budgeting requirements. 

During Justice Bevan’s tenure as Chief Justice, the Idaho Supreme Court also heard several cases involving controversial topics. These cases included challenges related to the Idaho parental choice tax credit,[27] the State Public Defender’s Office,[28] legislative redistricting,[29] voter registration laws,[30] abortion rights,[31] and grandparent visitation rights.[32] Idaho was also not immune from attacks on the rule of law similar to those seen at the national level. As Chief Justice, Bevan led the judiciary in responding to those attacks and educating stakeholders and members of the public about the importance of the rule of law.

As with other Chief Justices, Bevan served as the ex-officio chair of the Idaho Judicial Council, which is responsible for interviewing and nominating candidates for judicial office for the district courts, the Idaho Court of Appeals, and the Idaho Supreme Court. Notably, I am writing this article in the wake of the interviews conducted by the Council for Justice Bevan’s replacement when he retires on October 30, 2026.

As the ex-officio chair of the Council, Justice Bevan has participated in conducting interviews for numerous judicial vacancies, although the number of applicants for those vacancies has decreased in recent years.[33] During COVID, the Council conducted interviews via Zoom, which not only allowed the Council to satisfy distance restriction requirements, but also allowed interested members of the public to watch the interviews online. Streaming judicial interviews continued post-COVID, making the process more accessible statewide. Even so, Justice Bevan noted his view that having the Council members conduct interviews in the community where the judicial vacancy exists is an important tradition worth continuing. It is also a point of pride for Justice Bevan that, although the enabling law for the Council references rules related to political affiliation,[34] the selection process during his service on the Council was entirely non-partisan.

Reflecting on his career on the Idaho Supreme Court and as Chief Justice, Bevan hopes he is remembered as a “servant leader, not simply a presiding officer.” He strove to be collaborative, both as a justice and a leader, and to be “more open and accessible as the Chief Justice.” Justice Bevan’s advice for future Chief Justices is to “delegate where you can” and to find a way to filter issues because not everything needs to be approached like you’re John Wayne. He also emphasized the importance of having a life outside of work. As I admired the photo on Justice Bevan’s desk of his smiling family, including his many grandchildren, it wasn’t hard for me to conclude that his is a life well-lived. Thank you for your service, Chief.

Judge Jessica M. Lorello is an Idaho native who graduated from Boise High School. She received a master’s degree in health care administration and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After law school, she worked in private practice until 2004 when she joined the Criminal Law Division of the Idaho Attorney General’s Office. Governor Otter appointed Judge Lorello to the Idaho Court of Appeals in 2017. Judge Lorello is also an adjunct professor at the University of Idaho College of Law, is a member of the Law Related Education Committee of the Idaho Law Foundation and is a founding member of Attorneys for Civic Education.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, the substance of this article is based on interviews with the Chief Justices featured.

[2] Idaho Const. art. V, § 6.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Bakes

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_R._Donaldson

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Shepard

[6] The 37^th Chief Justice who bridged the term between Justices Bakes and Trout was Justice Charles McDevitt. McDevitt served as Chief Justice from 1993 to 1997. Justice McDevitt retired from the Court in 1997 and died in 2021 at the age of 89. https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/former-idaho-chief-justice-charles-mcdevitt-dies-at-89/article_6ffa4729-8f3f-511c-8ac3-752ecb482903.html  

[7] https://idahobusinessreview.com/2016/11/17/2016-lifetime-achievement-award-linda-copple-trout-justice-idaho-supreme-court-in-boise/

[8] Id.

[9] Id.

[10] See 128 Idaho v.

[11] 129 Idaho v.

[12] Idaho Code § 19-5601, et seq. The Idaho Drug Court Act was amended in 2005 and redesignated as the Idaho Drug Court and Mental Health Court Act. Id. (am. 2005, ch. 358, § 2, p. 1130). As of 2026, Idaho’s treatment-court programming has expanded to include DUI court, veterans treatment court, and domestic violence court. https://isc.idaho.gov/about-the-courts/treatment-courts.

[13] https://idahobusinessreview.com/2016/11/17/2016-lifetime-achievement-award-linda-copple-trout-justice-idaho-supreme-court-in-boise/

[14] Justice Daniel Eismann served as the 40^th Chief Justice, filling the role between Justices Schroeder and Burdick. Justice Eismann won his bid for election to the Idaho Supreme Court in 2000 and was Chief Justice from 2007 to 2011. Justice Eismann retired in 2017 and died in 2024 at the age of 77. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_T._Eismann  

[15] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cheers

[16] https://genius.com/Gary-portnoy-where-everybody-knows-your-name-cheers-theme-lyrics

[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Peterson

[18] Ansots is another jewel in Idaho’s rich Basque heritage. They make a variety of chorizos and Basque bacon and offer catering services. https://ansots.com/. The food is amazing and so are the people. James Beard agrees. https://www.eater.com/dining-out/951811/2026-james-beard-awards-restaurant-chef-finalists (including Ansots as a national finalist for “Outstanding Hospitality”). 

[19] https://judicialcouncil.idaho.gov/pdf/council/Burdick_biography.pdf

[20] For any “old-timers” reading this, I consider the coffee scene at Dawson Taylor the caffeine version of the historic Interlude Bar & Grill where my grandmother used to tend bar and make me a Shirley Temple when my mother took me there. If you have been around Boise long enough, or at least since before 2003, you may remember the Interlude as the original hotspot on 8^th Street in downtown Boise. Cheers to its long and storied history. 

[21] https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_Jones

[22] Id.

[23] 158 Idaho v; 159 Idaho v.

[24] https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_Jones

[25] J.R. Simplot Co. v. Bosen, 144 Idaho 611, 620, 167 P.3d 748, 757 (2006) (Jones, J. dissenting).

[26] See Johnson v. State, 156 Idaho 7, 319 P.3d 491 (2014).

[27] Comm. to Protect & Pres. the Idaho Const., Inc. v. State by & through Idaho State Tax Comm’n, 176 Idaho 912, 583 P.3d 837, 841 (2026).

[28] Doe v. Doe (2025-36), No. 53137, 2026 WL 1291839, at *1 (Idaho May 12, 2026) (relating to whether the State Public Defender has any obligation to pay costs for preparation of record and transcripts on appeal in a case involving private termination of parental rights); State v. Blazek, 587 P.3d 201, 203 (Idaho 2024) (relating to obligation to pay costs for transcript for indigent defendants); Tucker v. State of Idaho, Docket No. 51631-2024 (regarding whether the creation of the State Public Defender’s Office cured alleged constitutional deficiencies in public defense).

[29] Durst v. Idaho Comm’n for Reapportionment, 169 Idaho 863, 867, 505 P.3d 324, 328 (2022).

[30] BABE VOTE v. McGrane, 173 Idaho 682, 687, 546 P.3d 694, 699 (2024).

[31] Planned Parenthood Great Nw. v. State, 171 Idaho 374, 390, 522 P.3d 1132, 1148 (2023).

[32] Nelson v. Evans, 170 Idaho 887, 890, 517 P.3d 816, 819 (2022).

[33] Perhaps most notably, there were only four applicants for Justice Bevan’s vacancy: Stephen Adams, Leslie Hayes, District Judge Jason Scott, and District Judge Cynthia Yee-Wallace. https://judicialcouncil.idaho.gov/pdf/council/candidates/Bevan-06-List-of-Candidates-for_Appt.pdf.

[34] See I.C. § 1-2101.