Jahna Lindemuth

Jahna Lindemuth (born October 3, 1969) is an American attorney who served as the 31st Alaska Attorney General. Lindemuth was appointed by Alaska Governor Bill Walker on June 28, 2016 following the resignation of previous Attorney General Craig Richards.[1]

Jahna Lindemuth
31st Attorney General of Alaska
In office August 8, 2016 – December 5, 2018
Governor	Bill Walker
Preceded by	Jim Clark (Acting)
Succeeded by	Kevin Clarkson
Personal details
Born	October 3, 1969 Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Political party	Independent
Education	University of Alaska, Anchorage (BS) University of California, Berkeley (JD)

Career

Prior to her appointment as Alaska Attorney General, Lindemuth was the managing partner of the Anchorage office of Dorsey & Whitney.[1] In January, 2016, Lindemuth spoke to the media as a representative of Dorsey & Whitney, following the deliberate crash of an Alaska Civil Air Patrol plane into the firms downtown Anchorage offices. The crash was determined to be an act of suicide by the husband of a member of the firm.[2]

Lindemuth was actively involved in the defense of the Fairbanks Four. She helped gain the men's freedom after they spent many years in prison for a murder conviction.[1]

Controversy

In September 2018, the office of Anchorage District Attorney Richard K. Allen entered into a plea bargain with lawyers for Justin Scott Schneider, a former FAA air traffic controller who allegedly kidnapped a native Alaskan woman in the middle of the day from a gas station, choked her until she passed out and then masturbated over her.[3][4]

At the sentencing hearing, Allen's Assistant District Attorney Andrew Grannik stated that "I would like the gentleman to be on notice that is his one pass — it’s not really a pass — but given the conduct, one might consider it is.”[5] In addition, Grannik referred to Schneider's having lost his air traffic controller job as "life sentence."[6]

In response to citizen outrage at the reduced sentence and Grannik's comment about Schneider getting "a pass," the director of the Alaska Department of Law Criminal Division, John Skidmore, said that "Alaska law allows an offender to receive credit for any time spent on an ankle monitor or under house arrest against any jail sentence imposed." In addition, he said that "contact with bodily fluid such as semen is not categorized as a sex crime under Alaska law."[7]

Gov. Bill Walker "issued a statement saying the sentence was insufficient and saying he wants to toughen the law." He stated that he would propose legislation that makes "unwanted contact with semen a sex crime."[6]

See also

• List of female state attorneys-general in the United States

References

1. DeMarban, Alex (June 28, 2016). "Jahna Lindemuth is Alaska's new attorney general". Alaska Dispatch News.
2. "Plane Crash Into Alaska Building Is Said to Be Suicide". The New York Times. January 2, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
3. Klint, Chris (2017-08-10). "Charges: Woman strangled by air-traffic controller thought she was 'going to die'". KTVA. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
4. Wang, Amy B. (2018-09-22). "Man accused of kidnapping woman and masturbating on her is given 'one pass,' won't go to prison". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
5. Tunseth, Matt (2018-09-21). "Former Eagle River man who strangled woman reaches plea deal with prosecutors". Chugiak-Eagle River Star. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
6. DeMarban, Alex; Hollander, Zaz (2018-09-23). "State defends no-jail sentence in Anchorage assault case". Alaska Daily News. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
7. State of Alaska, News Release (2018-09-21). "Justin Schneider Sentenced in Accordance with Current Law". Alaska Department of Law. Retrieved 2018-09-23.