Idaho Supreme Court Justice Joel Horton announced he will retire from the state’s high court at the end of the year, after serving more than 24 years in the Idaho judiciary.
An Idaho native, Horton earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and his law degree from the University of Idaho. Following graduation, his legal career included both private and public sector work in Lewiston, Twin Falls, and Boise. In May 1994, Horton was appointed as an Ada County Magistrate Judge, serving as a family law judge until his appointment to the district court in 1996 by then-Governor Phil Batt. He served as a District Judge until 2007 when Governor Butch Otter appointed him to the Idaho Supreme Court to succeed Justice Linda Copple Trout.
Horton has twice retained his Supreme Court seat in statewide elections in 2008 and 2014. A new justice will be appointed by the governor from a list of two to four names provided by the Idaho Judicial Council.
The newly-appointed justice will serve out the remainder of the unexpired term, which ends in January 2020. A nonpartisan election to elect a justice for the next six-year term will be held next May. (Idaho Supreme Court)
