Idaho Supreme Court - Civil Decisions
Under the Idaho Constitution of 1890, the Idaho Supreme Court holds appellate jurisdiction over final decisions in district courts. Many of these cases reach the Supreme Court upon an appeal from the Idaho Court of Appeals, but the Supreme Court also may choose to review a case in the Court of Appeals at its discretion. The Supreme Court also may review appeals of orders by the Public Utilities Commission, the Idaho Industrial Commission, and the Industrial Accident Commission. It holds original jurisdiction to issue certain types of writs, such as writs of mandamus and habeas corpus, in addition to original jurisdiction over cases against the state government. The Court rotates among locations in Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Moscow, Lewiston, Pocatello, Rexburg, Idaho Falls, Caldwell, and Twin Falls
To serve on the Idaho Supreme Court, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, an Idaho resident for at least two years, and at least 30 years old. They also must have practiced law in Idaho for at least 10 years. Five justices serve on the Court. Idaho selects justices by using a non-partisan election. In other words, candidates are listed on the ballot without their party affiliation. However, if a justice needs to be replaced before the end of their term, the assisted appointment method applies. This means that the Idaho Judicial Council sends a list of candidates to the Governor of Idaho, who will choose the interim justice. Each justice generally serves a renewable six-year term, although the Chief Justice serves a four-year term. The Chief Justice receives their appointment from the Governor after being chosen by a majority of the current justices.
A justice may be removed from the Idaho Supreme Court if the Court determines that removal is appropriate upon the recommendation of the Idaho Judicial Council. A justice also may be removed if they are impeached by the Idaho State Legislature in a majority vote and by the Idaho State Senate in a two-thirds vote.
Recent Decisions From the Idaho Supreme Court - Civil
Date: April 25, 2024
Docket Number: 49628
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between two neighboring landowners, David W. Axelrod, as Trustee of the David W. Axelrod Family Trust, and Reid Limited Partnership (RLP), over real property and easement rights. Axelrod…
Date: April 24, 2024
Docket Number: 50273
Justia Opinion Summary: A landowner in Blaine County, Idaho, John Hastings Jr., made unauthorized alterations to the Big Wood River. The Idaho Department of Water Resources (the Department) issued a notice of violation to Hastings and ordered…
Date: April 17, 2024
Docket Number: 49628
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, David W. Axelrod, as Trustee of the David W. Axelrod Family Trust, and Reid Limited Partnership (RLP), along with Michael Reid, an individual, were neighboring landowners in Teton County, Idaho. Axelrod…
Date: April 11, 2024
Docket Number: 50302
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's (the Department) action to set aside a transfer of real property from two Medicaid recipients, Robert Gilbert and Juanita Gilbert, to their five…
Date: April 11, 2024
Docket Number: 51227
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the plaintiffs, BABE VOTE and the League of Women Voters of Idaho, challenged two amendments to Idaho's election laws, House Bills 124 and 340, which modified the forms of identification voters can use to…
Date: April 10, 2024
Docket Number: 49916
Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a premises liability claim filed by Diane Lands against Sunset Manor, LP, and Bingham County Senior Citizens Center, Inc. Lands tripped on an uneven sidewalk outside her apartment building,…
Date: April 2, 2024
Docket Number: 49940
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of the State of Idaho upheld a decision by the Idaho Industrial Commission that required an employer and its insurance company to pay the full amount of a medical invoice for an employee's workers'…
Date: March 25, 2024
Docket Number: 49755
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a medical debt collection claim between Medical Recovery Services, LLC (MRS), a debt collection service representing Franklin County Medical Center (FCMC), and Cierra Moser, a former FCMC employee. MRS…
Date: March 21, 2024
Docket Number: 50703
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of the State of Idaho was tasked with answering a certified question of law from the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. The question centered on the appropriate point of…
Date: March 5, 2024
Docket Number: 50197
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of the State of Idaho affirmed a lower court's decision upholding the denial of a preliminary plat application by Renaissance Project Development, LLC for phases two through five of the Shoshone Heights…
Date: February 27, 2024
Docket Number: 49773
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved a property dispute between neighbors Robert and Debra Talburt and Miles and Leanne Millard in Idaho. The Millards sought to establish their rights to a disputed tract of land and two easements, as well…
Date: February 22, 2024
Docket Number: 49801
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between Melissa Sanchez, a tenant, and Chris and Jennifer Pickering, her landlords, over the terms of a lease agreement for a mobile home owned by the Pickerings. Sanchez believed the…
Date: February 2, 2024
Docket Numbers: 49418, 49483
Justia Opinion Summary: Two online fundraising companies, Snap! Mobile, Inc. ("Snap") and Vertical Raise, LLC ("Vertical Raise"), were involved in a dispute. Snap accused Vertical Raise and its CEO, Paul Landers, of poaching its sales…
Date: February 2, 2024
Docket Number: 50000
Justia Opinion Summary: This case arises from a water rights dispute in Idaho. The McConnells sought to transfer their water rights to a new point of diversion on Lee Creek. Their upstream neighbor, Whittaker, protested the application, arguing…
Date: February 1, 2024
Docket Number: 49915
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of the State of Idaho affirmed the judgment of the District Court of the Third Judicial District of the State of Idaho, Washington County, in a medical malpractice action brought by Vivian Nipper…
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
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