Sam Vandergaw at a glance
- Current role
- District Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Alaska · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Sam Vandergaw
District Court Judge · Alaska District Court, Anchorage
Biography
Professional career
- Assistant Attorney General (2019–present) in the Alaska Department of Law, Office of Special Prosecutions
- Alaska District Court judge appointed to the Anchorage (Third District) Court on July 9, 2026, serving until 2029, with a background in public defense and special prosecutions in Alaska
- Chief Assistant Attorney in the Office of Special Prosecutions by 2025
- Earlier roles included Attorney Supervisor in Maricopa County and indigent defense work
- Deputy Public Defender in Maricopa County, Arizona, for eight years
Education
- Gonzaga University School of Law — J.D. (2009)
Additional information
- Appointment: July 9, 2026, by Governor Mike Dunleavy, replacing David R. Wallace
- Assistant Public Defender (2018–2019).
- focusing on complex and violent crimes, especially in rural Alaska.
- handling serious criminal cases.
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, Anchorage
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.