Gov. Butch Otter has named Sara B. Thomas, longtime chief deputy State Appellate Public Defender, to succeed Molly Huskey as head of that office; Huskey was appointed a 3rd District judge last month. Thomas, of Meridian, has been with the office for 13 years; she has a degree in criminal justice administration from BSU and a law degree from the U of I. The state appellate public defender provides representation to indigent defendants convicted of felonies in state district court; the office has a staff of 20. Click below for Otter's full announcment.

C.L. “Butch” Otter

GOVERNOR

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   

January 12, 2012         

SARA B. THOMAS OF MERIDIAN NAMED STATE APPELLATE PUBLIC DEFENDER

(BOISE) – Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter today announced the appointment of Sara B. Thomas, long-time chief deputy to Molly Huskey as State Appellate Public Defender, to succeed Huskey as head of that office.

The Governor appointed Huskey to a Third District Court vacancy on December 30.

Thomas, of Meridian, has been chief of the Appellate Unit within the Office of the State Appellate Public Defender since July 2002. She previously was a staff attorney with that unit for three years, and before that was a law clerk for Idaho Court of Appeals Judge Alan Schwartzman.

“I am honored by the Governor’s choice and appreciative of the opportunity to serve this state,” she said. “I look forward to working with other members of the criminal justice community in ensuring that Idaho’s justice system serves its people effectively and efficiently.”

Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Boise State University and a law degree from the University of Idaho. 

The Office of the State Appellate Public Defender was created in 1998.  With a staff of 20, it provides appellate representation to indigent defendants who have been convicted of felonies in State district court.

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