(Photo courtesy of the Idaho Supreme Court)
By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan appointed a new chief judge Wednesday for the Idaho Court of Appeals.
Judge Jessica M. Lorello will take over as chief judge on Jan. 1, replacing former Chief Judge Molly J. Huskey, who remains on the court.
The Court of Appeals consists of four judges who hear appellate cases from Idaho’s trial courts when assigned by the Idaho Supreme Court. The chief judge presides over the court and oversees its administration.
Court rule and Idaho law allow the chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court to appoint a chief judge for the Court of Appeals every two years.
Bevan appointed Lorello to her new term in an order signed Wednesday.
“I am honored to continue serving our state in this new role,” Lorello said through a news release.
Lorello has served on the Court of Appeals since 2017 when she was appointed by former Gov. Butch Otter. Prior to her appointment, she worked as an attorney in private practice and at the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.
Lorello serves on the Idaho Law Foundation’s Law Related Education Committee, is a founding and current member of Attorneys for Civic Education, and is active in a number of civic education programs, while also teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Idaho College of Law, according to a news release.
“Judge Lorello understands the vital role of Idaho’s judiciary in our constitutional system of state government and the importance of helping parties and the public to understand that role. I am pleased to appoint her to lead the Court of Appeals,” Bevan said in a news release.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.
