Gov. Butch Otter has named Coeur d’Alene attorney Cynthia K.C. Meyer a state 1^st District judge, to replace Judge Benjamin Simpson, who is retiring after 15 years on the bench.  “I believe Cynthia has the right mix of temperament, decisiveness and personal integrity for the bench and I am confident that she will approach her new duties with the same well-reasoned, thoughtful demeanor that exemplified her tenure as a member of the Idaho State Bar,” Otter said in a statement.

Meyer has practiced law in Utah and Idaho since 1987; she’s a graduate of the College of Idaho and the University of Utah College of Law. Her appointment is effective immediately.

Meyer was among four finalists for the judgeship, nominated by the Idaho Judicial Council, which interviews and vets prospective judges and surveys members of the Idaho bar about their qualifications. The other three finalists were Magistrate Judge Scott Wayman; Magistrate Judge Jim Stow; and Post Falls attorney Randall Adams.