Otter names St. Maries lawyer to bench

BOISE – St. Maries attorney Richard S. Christensen has been named a 1st District judge by Idaho Gov. Butch Otter. Christensen fills a vacancy opening May 1 when 1st District Judge John Luster retires. He was one of three candidates nominated by the Idaho Judicial Council for the post; the other two were Kootenai County Deputy Prosecutor John Cafferty and Kootenai County Magistrate Judge Scott Wayman. Otter said, “This isn’t the first time Rich has been among the outstanding candidates forwarded to me by the Judicial Council. I respect and admire his perseverance and his commitment to serving the people of northern Idaho as a district judge. … I’m confident that Judge Christensen will be an outstanding jurist and a credit to the bench.” Christensen, 56, is a New Jersey native who holds a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and a law degree from the University of Idaho. Currently a lawyer in private practice in St. Maries with partner Andrew P. Doman, Christensen served as Boise County prosecutor from 1982-84, as chief of the drug racketeering unit for the Idaho Attorney General’s Office from 1990-1993, and as Benewah County prosecutor from 1995-97. Christensen and his wife Katherine have three children.