Edward J. Lodge
Judge Edward J. Lodge has spent the past 37 years serving in various courts in Idaho.In 1963, he became a Probate Judge in Canyon County and two years later was the youngest person ever appointed to the District Court in Idaho. He served as District and Administrative Judge for the Third Judicial District of Idaho for 25 years and as a United States Bankruptcy Judge from 1988 through 1989. He was nominated by United States Senator James McClure to be a United States District Judge and was appointed by President George Bush, with the unanimous consent of the Senate.
Born in Caldwell, Idaho, Judge Lodge spent summers working on his family's ranch as a ”buckaroo". During the school year, he participated in athletics. After graduation from Caldwell High School, he attended Notre Dame, but longed to return to the West he loved so much. He attended Boise Junior College and graduated from the College of Idaho, Cum Laude. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Idaho Law School. Lodge is a three-time All-American in football. He was All-American in football at Caldwell High School, at Boise Junior College and at the College of Idaho. He was also All-American in track and a former Golden Gloves Champion. Judge Lodge has had a distinguished legal career. He was the youngest judge ever appointed to the District Court in Idaho, and is now the oldest judge in terms of tenure. He is the only judge in Idaho to have presided over two first-degree murder trials at the same time (two juries in the same courtroom). He is believed to have presided over more murder trials than any other judge in Idaho. He was the judge for the Claude Dallas trial and the Randy Weaver trial. He is a former president of the Idaho Judges Association and he is the first trial judge to receive the Kramer Award for Excellence in Judicial Administration. On July 1, 1999, the Honorable Judge J. Lodge’s seven-year term as Chief District Judge ended. While Judge Lodge will continue as a District Judge, he has already left a lasting legacy for the District of Idaho. His leadership influenced many significant accomplishments within the District of Idaho these accomplishments included: Completion of the Criminal Advisory Report for expense and delay reduction; support and leadership for the Gender Fairness Committee and consolidation of court services between the District and Bankruptcy Courts which resulted in permanent cost savings.The initiation of the State/Federal Judicial Council for sharing resources and policies between the Supreme Court and the Federal Court and the initiation of the highly regarded District Conference, a continuing education program for Judges and Lawyers are also among his many accomplishments. Judge Lodge was responsible for the initiation of ADR programs and the expanded use of Magistrate Judges in resolving civil proceedings. His support and leadership in numerous automation initiatives such as imaging, creation of the Internet/Intranet, video-conferencing, and evidence presentation equipment is well-known.The completion of the Long Range Plan for the District of Idaho along with overseeing and leading many major construction projects in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Pocatello are also to his credit. Judge Lodge continues to be widely respected by his profession.His State Bar ratings continue to be among the state's highest. Whether a case is large or small, Judge Lodge is widely known for taking extra time to reassure litigants rights to receive a fair trial. Judge Lodge once said, “you have to be willing to give people their day in court and to understand that this is usually the most important thing in their life, whether it's a big case or a small case, and treated as such.” Judge Lodge presided over arguably the largest case in the District of Idaho when he tackled the U. S. A. vs. Weaver original case. Despite the national media requests and pressure from attorneys who vigorously fought for the best legal position, Judge Lodge managed the trial efficiently and maintained expert control throughout the proceedings. His work on this case has become a model for handling notorious trials. By Dee Klenck |
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