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Jim Jones (judge)

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American judge This article is about the Idaho Supreme Court justice. For other people named Jim Jones, see Jim Jones (disambiguation).
Jim Jones
Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court
In office
August 1, 2015 – January 2017
Preceded byRoger S. Burdick
Succeeded byRoger S. Burdick
Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court
In office
January 3, 2005 – January 2017
Preceded byWayne Kidwell
Succeeded byRobyn Brody
29th Attorney General of Idaho
In office
January 5, 1983 – January 7, 1991
GovernorJohn Evans
Cecil Andrus
Preceded byDavid Leroy
Succeeded byLarry EchoHawk
Personal details
Born (1942-05-13) May 13, 1942 (age 82)
Twin Falls, Idaho, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKelly Jones
Children3
EducationIdaho State University
University of Oregon (BA)
Northwestern University (JD)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1967–1969
RankCaptain
UnitArtillery
Battles/warsVietnam War

James Thomas Jones (born May 13, 1942) is an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as the chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court and a former Attorney General of Idaho.

Early life and education

Born in Twin Falls, Idaho, Jones was raised on a farm near Eden, Idaho. He graduated from Valley High School in 1960. He attended Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, for a year and transferred to the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He also received a commission as Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Jones then earned a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1967.

Career

He served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army in Vietnam in the late 1960s and received several decorations, including the Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star.

Jones served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Leonard Jordan in the early 1970s. Afterwards he practiced law in Jerome and Boise.

Jones entered politics in 1978 as a candidate for Congress from the state's 2nd district. By a 56% to 44% margin, he was defeated in the Republican primary by incumbent George Hansen, and lost again in the 1980 primary to Hansen, who this time won 58%.

Jones was elected the state's attorney general as a Republican in 1982, and was re-elected unopposed in 1986. He ran for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jim McClure in 1990, but was defeated in the primary by Congressman Larry Craig, and returned to his private law practice in 1991.

Jones was elected to the Idaho Supreme Court in May 2004, unopposed in a nonpartisan election to fill the open seat of retiring justice Wayne Kidwell. He was unopposed for re-election in May 2010 and became chief justice in August 2015 by a vote of his peer justices. Jones retired from active service in January 2017.

As the Idaho Republican Party convened in July 2022 to consider a resolution declaring Joe Biden was not legitimately elected, Jones characterized the resolution as "asinine," adding "the party has gotten so caught up in conspiracy theories, meaningless culture war issues, that they have quit being able to function as a meaningful political party. We have got to get away from this authoritarian streak that has infected the Idaho Republican Party, as well as a good part of the nation, because it’s absolutely tearing our country apart."

References

  1. Who's Who in American Law, 2007-2008. Marquis Who's Who. 2007. p. 573. ISBN 978-0-8379-3524-9.
  2. ^ "Supreme Court Justices". State of Idaho. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  3. ^ Oxley, Chuck (January 4, 2005). "Jim Jones takes oath as high court justice". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. p. B2.
  4. "Our Campaigns - ID District 2 - R Primary Race - Aug 08, 1978".
  5. "Candidate announces". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. December 5, 1979. p. 3.
  6. "Idaho boosts Reagan over the top in GOP delegates". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. May 28, 1980. p. 3.
  7. Kenyon, Quane (July 18, 1980). "Idaho campaigns can get expensive". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. p. 9.
  8. Richardson, Kristin (April 18, 1986). "Jim Jones still running unopposed". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. p. 5.
  9. "No regrets for attorney general". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. May 29, 1990. p. B5.
  10. Fick, Bob (March 23, 2004). "Kidwell's decision still leaves voters without a choice". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Idaho-Washington. Associated Press. p. 4A.
  11. Russell, Betsy Z. (July 15, 2015). "Justice Jim Jones to be Idaho Supreme Court's next chief justice, as of Aug. 1". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  12. Russell, Betsy (March 9, 2016). "Chief Justice Jones to retire, Clive Strong announces bid for his seat". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  13. Ridler, Keith (July 14, 2022). "Idaho Republicans poised to reject 2020 election results". Associated Press.
Legal offices
Preceded byRoger S. Burdick Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court
2015–2017 		Succeeded byRoger S. Burdick
Preceded byDavid Leroy Attorney General of Idaho
1983–1991 		Succeeded byLarry Echo Hawk
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