Pamela Hess at a glance
- Current role
- Magistrate Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Alaska · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Pamela Hess
Magistrate Judge · Alaska District Court, Nome
Biography
Professional career
- Alaska Court System Judicial Roster: Lists Pamela Hess as the Nome Magistrate Judge appointed in 2019
- It details her upbringing in rural Alaska, high-school participation in the Alaska Color of Justice Program, mentorship beginning in 2005 and participation in the American Indian Law Center Pre-Law Institute
- Nome magistrate judge and Gonzaga Law alumna
- Worked with the Public Defender Agency, District Attorney’s Office, and as a Judicial Law Clerk
- served as Clerk of Court and Deputy Magistrate at Nome Trial Court
- She now volunteers with the Color of Justice Program
- Responsibilities: Conducts hearings, manages trial court activities, and promotes fair, just, and accessible justice in her district
Education
- Gonzaga University’s January 12, 2026 feature directly identifies Pamela Hess (Smith), JD class of 2016, as a current Nome magistrate
- Gonzaga University School of Law — J.D. (2016)
Additional information
- Community and Legal Service: Active in the Alaska Color of Justice Program, mentoring youth—especially Alaska Native youth—into law Participates in the CINA Court Improvement Project, Association of Alaska Magistrates, and statewide magistrate conferences Advocates for collaboration between state courts and tribal courts to improve legal access
- Location: Nome, Alaska (Second Judicial District)
- Case Types: Criminal, civil, domestic violence, small claims, minor offenses, delinquency, CINA cases, and mediation facilitation
- Magistrate Judge and Standing Master for the, serving in Nome, Alaska, where she presides over criminal, civil, domestic violence, small claims, and minor offense cases, as well as delinquency and Child in Need of Aid (CINA) matters
- Do not use generic praise as factual biography
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 District Court, Nome
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 ↗www.courts.alaska.gov
Identity source · HTML · Source checked September 28, 2026
View www.courts.alaska.gov ↗Alaska Court System official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked September 25, 2026
View Alaska Court System official judicial roster ↗www.courts.alaska.gov
Identity source · HTML · verification date not recorded
View www.courts.alaska.gov ↗