Idaho Supreme Court Judge announces retirement

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)-Idaho Supreme Court Justice Roger Burdick has announced he will retire from the court on June 30. Burdick said he would apply to serve as a senior judge, taking on periodic cases to help ease the judiciary’s workload.

Over his 47-year career, Burdick has worked as a defense attorney, prosecutor, magistrate and district judge, and eventually, as Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice.

For two years, Burdick presided over the Snake River Basin adjudication, a multi-decade effort to confirm and clarify individual water rights for most of the state.

"I thought being a prosecutor and a public defender was really an excellent career path, to understand both sides of criminal law, and I think that had an influence on me as I continued," he said.

You can read Burdick’s retirement letter here.

Governor Dirk Kempthorne appointed Burdick to the Supreme Court in 2003 and he stood for re-election in 2004, 2010, and 2016.  His current term would have ended in 2023. He is currently vice chief justice of the five-member court.

Justice Burdick placed a priority on embracing the Supreme Court's administrative role in Idaho's unified court system — growing treatment courts, enhancing guardianship monitoring, improving the juvenile court system and advocating for the resources to achieve such goals. He oversaw the adoption of new Rules of Procedure and proposed successful revisions to the Idaho Code of Judicial Conduct.

Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan said. "His continual push for improvement and excellence in all areas has benefitted Idahoans, and we will miss his presence on the Supreme Court."

Governor Brad Little will name a successor from a list of four names to be provided by the Idaho Judicial Council. That justice will fill Burdick’s unexpired term and stand for election to a full six-year term in May 2022.