Magistrate candidates to interview Wednesday

| July 28, 2015 9:00 PM

COEUR d'ALENE - Two magistrate judge positions have opened in Kootenai and Benewah counties and the First District Magistrate Commission has selected candidates for interviews later this week.

The First District Magistrate Commission convened and chose the candidates for a newly created Kootenai County Magistrate position, and for Benewah County Magistrate Judge Patrick McFadden's position.

Judge McFadden will retire on Aug. 31 and his position will become available on Sept. 1. The Kootenai County position will become available on Oct. 1.

The Kootenai County magistrate candidates include:

* John Cafferty, attorney, Hawley Troxell, Coeur d'Alene

* Megan Herrett, Ada County deputy public defender, Boise

* Francis (Pat) Kiernan, Post Falls deputy city prosecutor, Post Falls

* Wesley Somerton, city of Coeur d'Alene chief criminal prosecutor, Coeur d'Alene

* Brian Thie, member, Magyar Rauch & Thie, PLLC and University of Idaho College of Law adjunct professor, Moscow

* Timothy VanValin, Rathdrum city criminal prosecutor and attorney in private practice, Rathdrum

The candidates for the Benewah County magistrate position include:

* Megan Herrett, who is also seeking the Kootenai County position

* Michael Blaine Horrocks, Shoshone County deputy prosecutor and special deputy attorney general, Wallace

* Francis (Pat) Kiernan, who is also seeking the Kootenai County position

* Douglas Payne, Benewah County prosecuting attorney, St. Maries

* Brian Thie, who is also seeking the Kootenai County position

* Timothy VanValin, who is also seeking the Kootenai County position

All applicants will be interviewed on Wednesday beginning at 8:30 a.m. in Room 1A and 1B of the Kootenai County Administration Building, 451 Government Way.

The interviews will be open to the public. However, the deliberations will not be open to the public.

For more information contact Karlene Behringer, First District Trial Court administrator, 501 N. Government Way, Coeur d'Alene, ID, 83814, (208) 446-1221, kbehringer@kcgov.us.