The Neverending Case: How 10 Years of Delays Have Prevented a “Horrendous” Sexual Assault Allegation From Going to Trial
Four different judges have agreed to delay the trial more than 70 times in total. We pieced together a timeline of the delays using audio recordings and logs from every hearing.
Local Reporting Network
Alaska Judge Vows to Reduce Trial Delays: “We Must, and We Will, Improve”
Chief Justice Susan M. Carney’s comments follow ProPublica and Anchorage Daily News reporting that found the median time to resolve the most serious felonies in Alaska was three years in 2023 — triple the time it took a decade before.
Local Reporting Network
Anchorage Police Say They Witnessed a Sexual Assault in Public. It Took Seven Years for the Case to Go to Trial.
In Alaska, where the time to resolve most serious felony cases has nearly tripled over the past decade, one case was delayed so long that both victims died. A former prosecutor called it “a travesty of justice.”
Local Reporting Network
After Mass Dismissals in Anchorage, Alaska Officials Step in to Help Prosecute Crimes
The state offered to send up to 10 prosecutors to Anchorage days after the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica reported that hundreds of misdemeanor cases had been dropped since May because the city couldn’t hit court deadlines for speedy trials.
Local Reporting Network
Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and DUI Cases Are Being Dismissed en Masse in Anchorage
An effort to clear a backlog in the court system, combined with a lack of prosecutors, has led hundreds of people charged with an array of criminal misdemeanors in Alaska’s most-populous city to have their cases dropped without a trial.
Local Reporting Network
Iditarod Disqualifies Former Champion After Sexual Assault Allegations
The Iditarod board voted unanimously on Thursday to disqualify former champion Brent Sass after allegations made in November and recent questions from Alaska Public Media, the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica. Sass has denied the claims.
Local Reporting Network
Police Say They Won’t Reopen Case of Alaska Woman Found Dead on Mayor’s Property
In an open letter, the Kotzebue police chief said state investigators reviewed the case of Jennifer Kirk’s 2018 death and found no new leads. But parts of the letter contradict previous information the department has released about the case.
Local Reporting Network
For Alaska Families, Questions Remain About Unsolved Deaths and “Suicides”
Local law enforcement said there was only one official unsolved killing in Kotzebue, Alaska. Many residents suspect otherwise.
Local Reporting Network
One Woman Died on an Alaska Mayor’s Property. Then Another. No One Has Ever Been Charged.
Before they died, Jennifer Kirk and Sue Sue Norton were both victims of domestic violence, but the men involved — the ex-mayor’s sons — faced few consequences despite a long history of similar allegations.
Local Reporting Network
Anchorage City Commissioner Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining $1.6 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds for Her Charity
Despite a history of fraud allegations, Rosalina Mavaega and her husband received one of the city’s largest awards under the American Rescue Plan Act. Prosecutors say the couple spent the funds buying cryptocurrency and on other personal uses.
Local Reporting Network
Anchorage Gave Her a $1.6 Million Grant Despite Prior Fraud Allegations. Now She’s Under Investigation Again.
Despite a history of fraud allegations, Rosalina Mavaega was made an Anchorage city commissioner and given a large grant to support her homeless services charity. Federal investigators are looking into her business dealings.
Local Reporting Network