Nampa attorney appointed 3rd District judge

Davis VanderVelde was selected by Gov. Butch Otter to fill the Third District judgeship vacated by the move of Judge Molly Huskey to a seat on the Idaho Court of Appeals.

VanderVelde is the second attorney from the Nampa firm of White Peterson Gigray & Nichols to be named a 3rd District judge in the past two years. Christopher Nye, appointed in November 2013, filled a new seat created by the Idaho Legislature.

A Las Vegas native, VanderVelde earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and a law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego.

VanderVelde practiced law in Nevada until moving to Nampa in 2006. He has practiced law with White Peterson Gigray & Nichols since 2008 and became a partner in 2012.

“I have committed my adult life to my family and to the law,” VanderVelde said in a written release. “As an Idaho resident for the past 10 years, and an avid proponent of the lifestyle and freedom we enjoy living in such a remarkable state, I am ready to serve the state of Idaho as a judge.”

VanderVelde is a member of the Caldwell Exchange Club and volunteers regularly with Hands of Hope Northwest in Nampa. He and his wife, Jennifer, also support the Boys & Girls Club of Nampa.

“Davis has the right judicial temperament and demeanor to work effectively on the Third District bench,” Otter said. “He is a devoted member of the bar who understands the positive impact that a responsible, objective jurist can have on our citizens and communities.”

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Nampa attorney appointed 3rd District judge."