Jack R McKenna at a glance
- Current role
- Superior Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Alaska · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Jack R McKenna
Superior Court Judge · Alaska Superior Court, Judicial District 3
Biography
Professional career
- Criminal Division Director, Alaska Department of Law (2021–present)
- Jack R. McKenna is a judge of the Anchorage Superior Court in Alaska’s Third Judicial District, appointed by Governor Mike Dunleavy on December 23, 2021, and serving until 2027
- Law Clerk, Superior Court Judge Michael R. Spaan (2007-2008) Associate Attorney, Remy Thomas Moose & Manley (2008-2009) Law Clerk, Superior Court Judge Pro Tem Peter Ashman (2009) Assistant District Attorney, Anchorage District Attorney’s Office (2009-2016) Associate Attorney, Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot (2016-2019) Chief Assistant Attorney General, Office of Special Prosecutions (2019-2020) Criminal Division Director, State of Alaska Dept. of Law (2021)
- Assistant District Attorney, Anchorage DA’s Office (2009–2016)
- Associate Attorney, Remy, Moose & Manley, LLP, Sacramento, CA (2008–2009)
Education
- University of California, Davis — J.D. (2007)
- University of California, Berkeley — B.A. (2001)
Additional information
- Retention Election: First retention election in 2026
- Alaska Judicial Council voted 5–1 to retain him, citing meeting or exceeding standards in legal ability, integrity, impartiality, fairness, temperament, diligence, and administrative skills
- Judge McKenna presides over the Anchorage Superior Court
- handling mostly criminal cases and some civil matters
- The Third Judicial District covers Anchorage and numerous rural communities, including Cordova, Dillingham, Glennallen, Homer, Kenai, Kodiak, Naknek, Palmer, Sand Point, St. Paul Island, Seward, Unalaska, and Valdez
- Former Municipal Board of Ethics member
- Alaska Bar Association, Bar Examiners Committee
- Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, Chair
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Alaska generally prohibits photographing, filming, and recording in courthouse common areas unless an application is approved, while separate courtroom and adjacent-area rules remain governed by Administrative Rule 50 and Administrative Bulletin No. 45.
Except as specifically authorized by this order, photographing, filming, and recording are permitted in common areas inside the courthouse only upon the issuance of an approved application.Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities ↗
Courtroom Media Requests
Statewide
Alaska states that media may request permission from a judicial officer for coverage inside a particular courtroom or adjacent area, and the judicial officer rules on those requests.
not intended to interfere with or restrict the rights of the media to request permission from a judicial officer to allow media coverage within a particular courtroom or adjacent areaPresiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities
Alaska Superior Court, Judicial District 3
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked October 2, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 2, 2026.
Alaska Court System official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Alaska Court System official judicial roster ↗Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities ↗