Edward Lodge

Education

Born in Caldwell, Idaho, Lodge graduated from Caldwell High School and briefly attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. He was a two-time junior college All-American quarterback at Boise Junior College in 1953 and 1954.

Lodge earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Idaho in Caldwell in 1957, and graduated from the University of Idaho's College of Law in Moscow with a Bachelor of Laws in 1961.

Early career

Following law school, Lodge practiced law in Idaho from 1962 to 1963. He began his long judicial career in 1963 as a Probate Judge in Canyon County, and in 1965 became the youngest ever appointed to a district court in Idaho, at age 31.

Lodge served for nearly a quarter century as a district judge for the state's Third District in Canyon County, and presided at the double-murder trial of mountainman Claude Dallas in 1982, a case which received national notoriety. He was later appointed as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Idaho from 1988 to 1989.

Federal judicial service

When Judge Marion Jones Callister of the U.S. District Court in Boise took senior status in 1989, Lodge was recommended by Senator James A. McClure to fill the seat. President George H. W. Bush nominated Lodge on October 30, 1989; he was confirmed by a unanimous consent by the Senate on November 21, 1989, and received his commission on November 27, 1989.

He served a term as chief judge for the District of Idaho from 1992 to 1999, and was succeeded as chief judge by B. Lynn Winmill. Lodge assumed senior status on July 3, 2015.

Notable cases

Ruby Ridge

In the spring of 1993, Lodge was the presiding judge in the trial of Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris, defendants in the previous August's Ruby Ridge standoff in northern Idaho.

Five years later in 1998, Lodge was also the presiding judge in the case of Idaho v. Lon T. Horiuchi, which involved the indictment of the FBI sniper who shot three people at Ruby Ridge, killing one. Lodge cited the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and dismissed the charges against Horiuchi, which angered many who felt the leniency was unmerited. It was narrowly overturned on appeal (6–5) by the Ninth Circuit in 2001, but the Boundary County prosecutor opted not to pursue the charges brought by his predecessor in 1997.

Sami Al-Hussayen

In 2004, Lodge presided over the trial of Sami Omar Al-Hussayen—accused of recruiting Islamic fanatics into participating in Jihad against the United States. On May 13, he ruled to disallow a defense witness to refer to a blood drive that Hussayen had run after September 11th to help the victims, nor that he had widely condemned the attacks.

Sackett v. EPA

In 2019, Lodge ruled that the Sacketts' property included wetlands that were protected by the Clean Water Act. The 9th circuit affirmed Lodge's ruling in 2021, but the 9th circuit was reversed by the Supreme Court in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (2023), which held that only wetlands with a "continuous surface connection" to waters of the United States were protected by the Clean Water Act.

Personal

Lodge was the target of a foiled murder plot in 1998. He is married to Patti Anne Lodge, a state senator from Huston in Canyon County.

References

References

1. Russell, Betsy Z.. (September 24, 2014). "Judge Lodge to take senior status, Idaho to get new federal judge". Spokesman-Review.
2. [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pur1.32754050179187&view=1up&seq=491 Confirmation hearings on federal appointments : hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred First Congress ... on confirmation hearings on appointments to the federal judiciary .... pt. 3 (1991)]
3. Russell, Betsy Z.. (July 7, 2013). "Judge celebrates 50 years on the job". Spokesman-Review.
4. "Edward J. Lodge". U.S. Courts: District of Idaho.
5. Zager, Joey. (August 27, 2010). "A long and distinguished record". Boise State University Athletics.
6. "Lodge, Edward J. - Federal Judicial Center".
7. (May 18, 1982). "Dallas pleads innocent; trial set Sept. 7". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
8. Kennedy, John. (October 21, 1982). "Dallas convicted of manslaughter". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
9. (February 4, 1983). "Bail rejected for trapper Dallas". Spokane Chronicle.
10. Kenyon, Quane. (November 21, 1985). "Claude Dallas Jr.'s appeal rejected". Spokesman-Review.
11. (November 17, 1989). "Idaho judge gains approval of Senate panel". Spokesman-Review.
12. (June 14, 1989). "McClure nominates Lodge for judgeship". Spokesman-Review.
13. (November 23, 1989). "Lodge confirmed as Idaho federal judge". Idahonian.
14. Kreller, Kathleen. (June 15, 1993). "Jury ready to deliberate in Weaver murder trial". Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
15. Miller, Dean. (April 17, 1993). "Defense mistrial bid denied". Spokesman-Review.
16. Foster, J. Todd. (June 15, 1993). "Stage set for final arguments". Spokesman-Review.
17. (June 16, 1993). "Jury begins deliberations today in Weaver, Harris trial". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
18. "''Idaho v. Horiuchi''". FindLaw.com.
19. (May 16, 1998). "Weaver says dismissal's no surprise". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
20. Kravets, David. (June 6, 2001). "Court: FBI shooter can be tried in Ruby Ridge slaying". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
21. Wilson, Mike. (June 6, 2001). "Weaver cheers appeals court's ruling". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
22. (June 15, 2001). "No last shot at Ruby Ridge". Spokesman-Review.
23. Geranios, Nicholas K.. (June 15, 2001). "Prosecutor will drop charges against sniper". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
24. (April 3, 2019). "Years after Supreme Court win, Sacketts lose fight with EPA".
25. (August 16, 2021). "MICHAEL SACKETT; CHANTELL SACKETT, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY; MICHAEL S. REGAN, Administrator, Defendants-Appellees.".
26. (January 20, 2001). "California man admits plot to kill Judge Lodge". Spokesman-Review.
27. (2025-04-22). "Behind-the-scenes: Construction continues on Caldwell Night Rodeo announcer stand".
28. (2025-04-22). "Caldwell Night Rodeo touts $7 million in upgrades".