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Judge Gerald Van Hoomissen, Part 1 |
Judge Gerald Van Hoomissen was interviewed on May 15, 2012 by Karen Brewster and Niesje Steinkruger at Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska. Gerald Van Hoomissen was born in Portland, Oregon and received his law degree from the University of Oregon Law School. In 1965, he became the Assistant US Attorney in Fairbanks, was district attorney in Fairbanks from 1968-1969, was a private attorney, and then in 1970 was appointed as judge of the Superior Court in Fairbanks. As a private pilot, he flew around much of rural Alaska to hold hearings and try cases in the villages, something which is no longer done. He retired from the bench in 1986. In this interview, he talks about working as US attorney, traveling to the villages, holding court in Barrow as a visiting judge, the needs of rural justice, the importance of understanding the Native cultures, the types of cases he handled, Alaska’s judicial selection and retention system, and changes in Alaska’s justice system.
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2012-02-14_PT.1 |
Judges of Alaska |
May 15, 2012 |
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Judge Gerald Van Hoomissen, Part 2 |
This is a continuation of the interview with Judge Gerald Van Hoomissen on May 15, 2012 by Karen Brewster and Niesje Steinkruger at Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska. This is a continuation of tape number Oral History 2012-02-14, Part 1. It also continues on tape number Oral History 2012-02-14, Part 3. In this part of the interview, Judge Van Hoomissen talks about traveling to villages to hear cases and working with rural communities, his thoughts about Alaska's sentencing laws, being a pilot, key cases that he remembers, and his travels around Alaska.
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2012-02-14_PT.2 |
Judges of Alaska |
May 15, 2012 |
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Judge Gerald Van Hoomissen, Part 3 |
This is a continuation of the interview with Judge Gerald Van Hoomissen on May 15, 2012 by Karen Brewster and Niesje Steinkruger at Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska. This is a continuation from tape number Oral History 2012-02-14, Parts 1 and 2. In this part of the interview, Judge Van Hoomissen talks about the challenges of being a judge, tribal courts, menotors, and his retirement.
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2012-02-14_PT.3 |
Judges of Alaska |
May 15, 2012 |
