Court Hours to Expand in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Palmer

The Alaska Court system says courthouses in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Palmer will stay open longer to handle certain cases.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Dana Fabe says in an announcement that courthouses will be open evenings and Saturdays in the two largest judicial districts to better serve the community and possibly save people taking a day off from work for court matters.

Fairbanks trial courts in May began a pilot program of opening Saturday mornings to handle dissolutions without children and change of name hearings. Emergency hearings also are scheduled.

Anchorage trial courts began expanding hours in July. Palmer has provided services for small claims, traffic, dissolution and uncontested divorce cases.

Fabe says presiding judges in the judicial districts have used flexible scheduling of staff to provide the expanded hours.