McHugh named administrative district judge

COEUR d’ALENE — Judge Barry McHugh is now the administrative district judge for Idaho’s First Judicial District, which includes the five northern counties.

Effective Jan. 1, McHugh succeeds Judge Lamont Berecz, who is now deputy administrative district judge. 

Both roles involve additional duties beyond hearing cases, according to a news release issued by the Idaho Supreme Court. An administrative district judge manages court operations, assigns judges to cases and sets local processes through administrative orders. The judges serving in a judicial district vote to select the administrative judge. 

McHugh served as the Kootenai County prosecuting attorney from 2009 until 2022, when he resigned in order to replace Judge Lansing Haynes, who retired that May. McHugh took the bench in January 2023.