BOISE - Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has appointed 2nd District Judge John Stegner of Moscow to the Idaho Supreme Court.
Otter's office announced Tuesday that Stegner will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Warren Jones. There has been an open seat on the state's highest court for more than five months.
Stegner was also a finalist for the Idaho Supreme Court last year when then-Justice Daniel Eismann announced his retirement.
Stegner has been a Moscow-based judge since 1997 after being appointed to the position by former Gov. Phil Batt. Before that, Stegner worked in a private practice in Lewiston for 12 years. He helped launch the Latah County Drug Court in 2002 and has presided over the county's mental health court since 2012.
