Gov. Butch Otter today appointed longtime Idaho Falls defense attorney and former prosecutor Stevan Thompson as a district judge; Thompson will succeed 7^th District Judge Alan Stephens of Rigby when he retires in March.  Thompson, 61, has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho and attended the Gonzaga University College of Law before receiving his law degree from the University of Idaho. According to the governor’s announcement, he’s a Jerome native who was a deputy prosecutor in Bonneville County for about four years and prosecutor in Clark County for two years, but has focused primarily on criminal defense since 1990. He’s been a partner since 2007 in the law firm Thompson, Smith, Woolf, Anderson, Wilkinson & Birch, PLLC.

“The qualities that recommend Stevan for the bench reflect the maturity and perspective that comes with his many years of experience representing clients in state and federal courts, along with a refreshing regard for our judicial system and its role in upholding the rule of law,” Otter said.

Otter selected Thompson from among two finalists recommended by the Idaho Judicial Council, Thompson and David W. Newman, an assistant U.S. trustee for the U.S. Department of Justice in Boise. Others who applied for the judgeship included Idaho Falls attorneys Randy B. Neal and Jason T. Wood.