Four magistrate judge finalists announced

SANDPOINT — Four final candidates have been announced for the open magistrate judge that will be left vacant when Bonner County Judge Lori Meluenberg retires this summer.

After over 11 years on the bench, Meulenberg announced earlier this year that she would be retiring in July. Six candidates were being considered in February following the judge’s announcement, but that number has since been whittled down to four.

Questionnaires were offered to the public in February to garner a wider range of input on each candidate up for consideration. The areas most important to the magistrate commission when deciding on the final candidates were each applicant’s integrity and moral courage, legal ability and experience, intelligence and wisdom, capacity to be fair-minded and deliberate, industriousness and promptness in performing duties, compatibility of personal habits and outside activities with judicial office, and their capacity to be courteous and considerate on the bench.

The final candidates were announced Friday and are: Amy Bistline, a Bonner County staff attorney; Catherine Enright, a Bonner County deputy public defender; Luke Hagelberg, a Bonner County chief public defender; and Donald Terry, a Bonner County deputy public defender.

The candidates’ interviews will take place at the end of the month, May 31, at 10 a.m. Immediately following those interviews, the First Judicial District Magistrates Commission is set to make a decision on who will fill the vacant seat.

These interviews are open to the public and everyone is allowed to attend. The meeting will take place at the Bonner County Courthouse in Courtroom 3. The courthouse is located at 215 S. 1st Ave. in Sandpoint.

Contact First District Trial Court administrator Karlene Behringer with any questions at 208-446-1221.