Home > Conference Calendar > 13th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect > Commissioner's Award Book > Idaho

Idaho

The Honorable Bryan K. Murray Magistrate Judge Sixth Judicial District Bannock County Courthouse P.O. Box 4847 Pocatello, ID 83205

Bryan K. Murray is a native Idahoan who has demonstrated an early and life-long commitment to serving both youth and community. He served abused and neglected children and delinquent youth as a public defender and as a Guardian Ad Litem. These experiences reinforced his strong belief in the importance of the rights of youth and helped to prepare him for his next appointment.

In 1993, Judge Murray was appointed as a Magistrate Judge for Bannock County, Idaho. It is no surprise that he soon was assigned to the juvenile court, working in the areas of juvenile justice, child protection, and mental health. As a man of both word and action, he has been instrumental in the establishment of an effective juvenile probation program and has been known to visit schools to staff the needs of the young people coming before him. He is also a strong supporter of prevention programs for youth.

Judge Murray is outspoken regarding the needs of children. He was one of the first Idaho judges to champion the new provisions of the Adoption and Safe Families Act and assist the Idaho judiciary to better understand the permanency needs of children. He has demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of timely permanency in the life of a child by holding court both day and night in an effort to reduce the backlog and delays of children waiting in foster care.

Judge Murray currently serves on the State of Idaho Juvenile Rules Committee and Juvenile Advisory Committee and is Chairman of the State of Idaho Supreme Court Improvement Committee on Foster Care and Child Protection. He also served as the Idaho delegate to the President's Conference on Families, directed by Colin Powell. Judge Murray has recently been named to a two-year term as a member of the Idaho Governor's Coordinating Council for Families and Children. Judge Murray is always looking for ways in which his court and the larger Idaho court system can function more efficiently and effectively.

Juvenile Court judges all across this nation are critical in helping to solve the issues confronting youth and their families. Judge Murray takes this challenge to heart. He works with enthusiasm, hope and tireless energy to help assure that there is safety, permanency, and a sense of well-being in the life of each and every young person both inside and outside his courtroom.

Updated on February 2, 2010