Beverly Cutler (born September 10, 1949) is an American lawyer who was the first woman to sit on the state Superior Court in
Alaska.
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Personal life
Cutler was born September 10, 1949[ to ]Lloyd Cutler
Lloyd Norton Cutler (November 10, 1917 – May 8, 2005) was an American attorney who served as White House Counsel during the Democratic administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
Early life and education
Cutler was born ...
, the White House Counsel during the administrations of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton,[ and his wife, Louise Winslow Howe Cutler. She grew up outside of Washington, D.C.][ Cutler, one of four children, had a brother and a sister who also became lawyers.][ One sister, Louisiana Winslow Culter, also lives in Alaska.][
Cutler attended Yale Law School.][ Her husband retired as a state trooper to grow potatoes.][ and lives in Palmer, Alaska.][
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Career
In 1974, Cutler moved to Alaska to work as a research attorney for the Alaska Judicial Council.[ She then went to work as a public defender.][ Cutler was appointed by Governor Jay Hammond as a district court judge in ]Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...
and was sworn in on September 26, 1977.[ At 28 years old, she replaced Dorothy Tyner, who was much older.][ When first appointed to the bench, Cutler was the only judge in a one-courtroom courthouse.][ As the court grew, they expanded into a nearby apartment where files were kept in the bathtub.][
In 1982, she was appointed the first judge at what is, as of 2012, the Superior Court in Palmer.][ When she became a superior court judge there was no district court in that jurisdiction, and so the duties of that role were Cutler's as well.][
She received criticism after John Pearl Smith II, a prisoner she temporarily released to attend his deceased father's memorial service, escaped and was later recaptured.][ She also presided over a case involving the mother of ]Levi Johnston
Levi Keith Johnston (born May 3, 1990) is an American model and actor, best known as the twice-former fiancé of Bristol Palin and father of their son Tripp. He first received media attention in August 2008 when U.S. vice presidential candidate S ...
.[ She was also the superior court's administrative judge.][ At the end of her career, she served alongside three other judges in Palmer, Alaska, where she presided for 27 years.][
]
See also
* List of first women lawyers and judges in Alaska
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutler, Beverly
American women judges
Alaska state court judges
People from Palmer, Alaska
Public defenders
Yale Law School alumni
Living people
1949 births
21st-century American women