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Governor Bill Walker Appoints Nathaniel Peters As Bethel Superior Court Judge

Alaska Court System

Governor Bill Walker has appointed Nathaniel Peters to serve as Bethel’s Superior Court Judge. Walker made the announcement Thursday, along with judge appointments in Dillingham, Nome, and Kenai.

Peters has served as Bethel’s District Court Judge since 2014 and has been practicing law in Alaska for almost eight years, including six as a public defender in Bethel and Palmer.

“I am delighted with the appointment," said Peters, "and I look forward to serving Bethel and the YK Delta for many more years to come.”

The Alaska Judicial Council nominated Peters to the position in December and held a public gathering in Bethel to collect community input on the applicants. Peters was the only applicant who lived in Bethel and the only applicant supported by many of the community members who spoke at the meeting. They called him invested in the community and praised his character and work ethic.

One of those supporters was Ana Hoffman, President and CEO of the Bethel Native Corporation. Hoffman worked with Peters when she was a Magistrate Judge and he a Public Defender.

“At times, legal professionals view positions in Bethel as assignments to endure. Judge Peters understands that living and working in Bethel is a source of enrichment for him and for his family,” Hoffman said.

Another advocate was Yup’ik Court Interpreter Crystal Garrison.  She has worked with many judges during her 15 years with the Alaska Court System and has no complaints about how it has been since Peters was appointed to the District Court.

“Just for the time that he’s been at the court," Garrison said, "he is very pleasant to work with, and he is very open to our side of how to make things easier here at the Bethel court and willing to listen to the clerks’ ideas."

Peters will replace Judge Charles Ray, who decided not to run for retention. The annual salary of a Bethel Superior Court judge is $239,724.

Anna Rose MacArthur served as KYUK's News Director from 2015-2022.