Kootenai County Seeks Magistrate Judge, Applications Due March 16

The Magistrates Commission of the First Judicial District posted a recruitment notice March 11 for a magistrate judge position at the Kootenai County Courthouse in Coeur d'Alene, with applications due March 16 and the vacancy opening July 1 when The Honorable Judge James Combo retires.

The position carries an annual salary of $164,508 plus state benefits and comes with an assignment scope that extends well beyond Kootenai County. According to the official notice, "appointees may be assigned to hear cases throughout the judicial district and may also be assigned outside the district by the Idaho Supreme Court." The new magistrate will handle all magistrate-level case types and may cover cases in other counties within the First Judicial District, which spans Idaho's northern panhandle region.

Residency is a firm condition of the appointment. The notice states that "the appointed magistrate judge must reside in the county for which the appointment is made throughout the term of service as magistrate," meaning whoever fills Combo's seat must live in Kootenai County for the duration of their tenure.

The salary represents a significant increase from past recruitments. When the First Judicial District last ran a comparable magistrate recruitment in 2014, the compensation was set at $112,000 under Idaho Code section 1-2222. The 2026 figure of $164,508 reflects roughly a 47 percent increase over that earlier benchmark, though state benefits, judicial workload expectations, and assignment provisions have remained broadly consistent across recruitments.

Earlier First Judicial District recruitment materials offer additional context on what the role demands day to day: magistrate judges in the district have historically been on call around the clock, seven days a week, to assist with the issuance of arrest and search warrants. Travel across the district is required, as magistrates are regularly assigned to sit in counties other than their home chambers to cover vacations, illnesses, and judicial conferences, and to equalize caseloads across the district. Newly appointed magistrates stand for retention at the first general election following their initial 18 months of service.

Application forms are available on the Kootenai County homepage. Prospective applicants or those with questions about the process can contact Lisa Chesebro, Trial Court Administrator for the First Judicial District, at the Kootenai County Courthouse, 501 Government Way, Lower Level, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83814. Chesebro can be reached by phone at (208) 446-1217 or by email at lchesebro@idcourts.net.