AZ Judges Review

Disappointing criticism from The Center for Arizona Policy

2010-10-10T10:38:00.005-07:00

The Center for Arizona policy, Arizona's family values conservative think tank, recently sent out an email to its supporters critical of this website. President Cathi Herrod told supporters to beware, this website lacks credibility because it is anonymous. Why is this website anonymous? Because the Arizona State bar unconstitutionally prohibits lawyers and judges from daring to say anything that might possibly be construed as negative about a judge. And the State Bar has a monolithic hold on Arizona attorneys - you cannot practice law in Arizona without being a member of the State Bar (something we disagree with, we would like to see this stranglehold taken away and turn the Bar into a voluntary association).

The Bar's Ethical Rule 8.2, Judicial and Legal Officials, states:

(a) A lawyer shall not make a statement that the lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to its truth or falsity concerning the qualifications or integrity of a judge, adjudicatory officer or public legal officer, or of a candidate for election or appointment to judicial or legal office.

This Ethical Rule has been used to target conservative attorneys in the past when they have had conflicts with liberal judges. It has been broadly interpreted in order to squelch unwanted criticism. This is an offensive encroachment on the free speech rights of attorneys, who don't check their rights at the State Bar door once they become attorneys.

Consequently, the identities of anyone providing this kind of information must remain confidential, or risk a politically motivated investigation by the State Bar. The State Bar is controlled by left wing attorneys who don't want a website like this to exist.

Some of our sources are very bright, accomplished attorneys and judges, but we don't have the luxury of telling you who they are.

The Center for Arizona Policy points to their own questionnaire of judges instead, and suggests that it is a better guide. We disagree. Hardly any judges responded. Only three Superior Court judges did. One reputable judge we talked to laughed when he saw that any judges responded, due to the risk of putting your viewpoints on judicial philosophy out there - leaving yourself open for opponents to target you in future elections - and forget about a career involving a federal court position. Most of the judges who responded to their survey submitted vague responses, it's impossible to tell from their letters whether they are liberal or conservative. Their survey of judges is practically meaningless.

If this website is so untrustworthy, why haven't we had a single judge contact us and ask for a correction? We have yet to hear from any judge objecting to our characterizations of them, and this site has been around since 2008. That speaks volumes. We urge our readers to read the comments after these posts for more information on the judges that others have provided.

We are deeply disappointed in the Center for Arizona Policy. We are on the same side, but instead they have gone out of their way to tell others to avoid our website. The trusted attorneys and judges that have provided us with information are also disappointed.

Quick guide to judges up for election this year

2010-10-04T15:57:00.013-07:00

Judges this site gave top reviews to (generally conservative)

Court of Appeals

Dan Barker

Philip Hall

Jon Thompson

Maricopa County Superior Court

Brian Ishikawa

Peter Reinstein

Eileen Willett

Judges this site gave moderate reviews to (generally moderates, lean conservative)

Supreme Court
Rebecca Berch

Court of Appeals
John Gemmill*
Sheldon Weisberg

Maricopa County Superior Court

Mark Aceto

Roger Brodman
Norman Davis***

Alfred Fenzel

George Foster

Pendleton Gaines

Brian Hauser

Jean Hoag

Carey Hyatt

Michael Jones

Kenneth Mangum

Karen O'Connor

Maria Del Mar Verdin

Judges this site gave negative reviews to (generally slightly left-leaning)

Court of Appeals

Michael Brown
Pat Irvine
Lawrence Winthrop

Maricopa County Superior Court

Arthur Anderson

Janet Barton

Emmet Ronan

David Talamante

Judges this site gave very poor reviews to (generally very liberal)

Maricopa County Superior Court

Aimee Anderson**

Edward Bassett

Dawn Bergin

William Brotherton

Roger Budoff

Edward Burke

Harriett Chavez

Gary Donahoe

Sally Duncan (we're told she's listed as Sally Schneider on the ballot)

Dean Fink

Richard Gama**

Larry Grant

Warren Granville

Hugh Hegyi

Joseph Heilman

Bethany Hicks

Joseph Kreamer

Raymond Lee

Daniel Martin

Rosa Mroz

Sam Myers

Benjamin Norris

Susanna Pineda**

Douglas Rayes

John Rea

Samuel Thumma

Randall Warner

Joseph Welty

*A reputable source tells us the reason why Judge Gemmill's decisions fall into the moderate, not conservative category, are because of his libertarian persuasion.

**One reputable prosecutor who practices regularly in front of Superior Court judges disagrees that Judges Aimee Anderson, Richard Gama and Susanna Pineda are liberal. Anderson and Pineda were both Napolitano appointees.

***We apologize, we had this incorrectly listed as Glenn Davis, but it is actually Norman Davis who is up for retention.

Reviews of Maricopa County judges for 2010 coming soon

2010-09-23T18:21:00.003-07:00

We have received numerous emails asking us about the 2010 ballot, which will be mailed to early voters in a couple of weeks. Since none of us are attorneys (out of fear from retaliation from the Arizona Bar and their cronies on the bench, no attorneys are willing to be associated with this website) we will need to do some research first, but we promise you we will have the new reviews up before early ballots are sent out. Feel free to tell others they can check back in early October.

We do not have any connections in other counties, but if anyone in other counties would like to email us information we can post, please do: azjudgesreview----at----gmail.com.

Judge Donald Daughton--liberal activist, Obama supporter

2009-10-01T18:12:00.006-07:00

There is a disturbing trend in Maricopa County Superior Court by Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell to pick and choose judges at will in order to ensure that the most liberal judges handle important political cases. She is essentially picking how justice will turn out. Her latest trend is to pluck judges out of retirement and put them on key cases to ensure politically liberal outcomes.

Most recently, she assigned retired judge Donald Daughton, a Democrat, to hear the challenge by abortion provider Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights to Arizona's recently passed prolife laws. The challenge was also filed at the same time in Arizona's federal court. Since the laws were to go into effect Tuesday, the suits asked for an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt them from going into effect until the issue could be fully litigated - which could take years. The federal court judge denied the request for a TRO.

Judge Daughton granted the TRO.

This is not the first time Judge Daughton has been pulled from retirement by Mundell in order to ensure a liberal outcome on a high-profile political case. Mundell apparently didn't like the outcome she was getting in a dispute between the County Attorney's Office and her political allies at the Board of Supervisors (who have bought her off by ensuring she will get a $340 million state of the art court tower), so she replaced the assigned judge with - Judge Daughton. Sure enough, Daughton ruled that the Board of Supervisors has the authority to gut the County Attorney's Civil Division and set up their own shadow County Attorney's Office.

Not surprisingly, Judge Daughton is a big supporter of Obama and Democrat U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, as evidenced by his contributions below from the FEC website. With a history this biased, he is not fit to sit on this case. He should have disclosed up front his political contributions to left wing politicians.

How long is Judge Mundell going to continue picking and choosing judges as she pleases including ones who are retired to predetermine the outcome of cases? What's wrong with using our existing judges, and picking them by lottery? We will continue to document these outrageous preferences of justice.

Presented by the Federal Election Commission

Individual Contributions Arranged By Type, Giver, Then Recipient

Contributions to Political Committees

DAUGHTON, DONALD
PHOENIX, AZ 85018
N/A/RETIRED

MITCHELL, HARRY E. VIA HARRY MITCHELL FOR CONGRESS
	10/23/2008	500.00	28934600636

DAUGHTON, DONALD
PHOENIX, AZ 85018
NOT EMPLOYED/RETIRED

OBAMA, BARACK VIA OBAMA FOR AMERICA
	11/01/2007	500.00	28930538381
	03/31/2008	250.00	28931257229

Total Contributions: 1250.00

The effect of AZ Judges Review on the 2008 retention elections

2008-11-06T12:31:00.002-07:00

Lighthouseblog has posted an analysis of the effect this site had on this year's retention elections.

Coming in next couple of days: Analysis of how this site influenced the elections

2008-11-05T18:11:00.002-07:00

Please check back in a day or two when we will post an analysis of how this site influenced the retention election of judges. Unfortunately, every single judge was retained. But there was a significant decrease in approval votes for them.

Also, our next project will be obtaining real figures and numbers on judicial decisions, so we can provide hard evidence to back up our information for skeptics.

Judge McClennen's side of things (the only judge not recommended by the commission)

2008-10-29T17:05:00.003-07:00

We are fortunate to have Judge McClennen's input regarding why he should be elected. We strongly disagree with the Judicial Performance Commission's recommendation not to retain him, as we have discussed in the post listing Superior Court judges.

Personal Statement of Judge Crane McClennen

In my legal career, I have dedicated myself to public service. Prior to becoming a judge, I served for 21 years as an Assistant Arizona Attorney General working in the Criminal Appeals Division. There I represented the State of Arizona in the state appellate courts, and the federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court.

I have been a judge for 11½ years, having been retained by the voters in 2000 and 2004. I have been on the juvenile court assignment for the last 2 years, and prior to that, I was on the criminal assignment for 6 years, the family court assignment for 2 years, and the civil assignment for 16 months. As a judge of the juvenile court, I have sought to take the necessary amount of time in each case to understand what each juvenile needs, and then do what I can to have the court system provide those services to the juvenile and the juvenile’s family. Many times at the conclusion of the case, the parents have thanked me for what I have done for their family, which I feel that is one of the most rewarding parts of this job. If any of you would like to see for yourself how I conduct myself as a judge, I invite you to come to my courtroom at any time and watch as I handle my daily calendar of cases.

In addition to the time I spend with the cases before me, I have done the following to improve the court system and to provide continuing legal education materials and opportunities to judges and attorneys in Arizona, and have received the following awards and certifications:

Awards and Certifications

· State Bar of Arizona, Outstanding Member, 1995.

· State Bar of Arizona, Outstanding Public Lawyer, 1991.

· State Bar of Arizona, Outstanding Contribution to Continuing Legal Education, 1986 & 1989.

· Founding Fellow, Arizona Bar Foundation.

· Certified Criminal Law Specialist, 1985–present.

Arizona Office of the Courts

· Instructor, New Judge Orientation, 1997–2005

Maricopa County Superior Court

· Chair, Juvenile Court Forms Committee, 2007–present.

· Chair, Juvenile Court New Judge Rotation Training, 2007.

· Chair, Committee To Draft Criminal Department Minute Entry Forms, 2001–2002.

· Chair, Committee To Draft Family Court Rules of Procedure, Maricopa County, 1988–2000.

Continuing Legal Education

· Chair & Speaker, Criminal Year Seminar, 1991–2008

· Chair & Speaker, Year in Evidence Seminar, 1987–2008

Books and Publications:

· Arizona Legal Forms, Criminal Procedure (2005)

· Arizona Courtroom Evidence Manual (3rd Ed. 1997).

· (Co-author) Chapter 4, Criminal Appeals, and Chapter 24, Justice Court Appeals,

Arizona Appellate Handbook (1992).

· Frye, Daubert, and Logerquist: Is Arizona Moving Ahead or Going in Circles? 34 Ariz. St. L.J. 571.

· Custody Under Miranda v. Arizona: Is Arizona Using the Wrong Focus? Arizona Attorney (7/00).

· Rule 404(B) and 404(C): New Definitions; New Tests; and New Rules, Arizona Attorney (6/98).

· Eliminating Appeals From Guilty Pleas: Making the Process More Efficient, Arizona Attorney (11/92).

· Capital Punishment in Arizona: Past, Present, and Future, Arizona Attorney (10/92).

· Admission of Evidence of Other Crimes, Wrongs, or Acts, Arizona Attorney (6/90).

· Impeachment and Rehabilitation of Witness Under Arizona Rules of Evidence, Ariz. Bar J. (6/83).

· Death Penalty Debated, Maricopa Lawyer (4/82).

· Arizona Divorce Law: Time for a Better System, 1970 Law and the Social Order 641.

In the Judicial Performance Review survey, I feel honored to receive high marks from the litigants and witnesses, including a 100% rating for Integrity. Although not reported in this Voter Guide, the Commission did survey Court Staff, and from them I received ratings of 100% for Integrity, 88% for judicial temperament, and 85% for Administrative Performance. It is now, and has always been, my belief that I should seek to improve the court system, and most importantly, serve the litigants and witnesses who appear before me. I have done so for the litigants and witnesses who came before me in the past, and I ask you to retain me in office so that I can continue to do so for litigants and witnesses in the future.

Judge Crane McClennen

Due to threats, GOP forced to remove its name from this blog

2008-10-28T17:53:00.004-07:00

Due to threats from the spouse of a judge who would actually attempt to have county GOP leadership and LD4 GOP leadership removed from their positions in order to suppress free speech about their spouse, we are removing their names as sponsors and contributors to this blog and Lighthouse Blog will continue to shine the light on the judges!

The inside scoop on the only judge the Judicial Performance Review Commission did not recommend for retention

2008-10-27T15:02:00.004-07:00

We've got the full story - and we've upped our ranking of Judge McClennan to a 9. Figures the one judge the Commission would try to remove would be the smartest judge on the bench, which tilts their decisions toward conservatives.

We've also updated info on a few more Superior Court judges, including Judge Keppel.

Read the updated info on both judges in the Superior Court judge section.

AZ Bar magazine features article on judicial retention

2008-10-27T10:59:00.004-07:00

Was quite amused to see the front page cover of Arizona Attorney magazine this month, "Judicial Retention: The Verdict after 30 Years." To its credit, the article admits that it is virtually impossible to vote a judge out under a retention election system, and the Judicial Performance Review Commission rubberstamps every judge - in 2006, the last year recorded, all 64 judges up for retention received an average mean score of 99.6%! Not a single judge scored below 75. Judges only need a 50% approval vote among those who cast votes in their race in order to be retained.

The JPR Commission used to rate more judges poorly, back when judges were elected, not appointed like they are now. That was because the Commission actually knew more about the judges, based on their campaigns for office - the judges had opponents who could do opposition research on them and get it out publicly. Now the Commission knows very little about the judges when they come up for retention.

This article reinforces our opinion - as well as most conservatives' opinions - that the reviews provided by the Commission aren't worth your time reading.

In the future, until we move to a system of electing judges or at least requiring legislative confirmation, we recommend that the Voter Information Pamphlets include links to websites like this which provide reviews of the judges - not just the JPR Commission's fluff review.

We find it amusing that AZ Attorney didn't even bother mentioning this website. Even though AZ Judges Review is the only website in Arizona comprehensively reviewing the judges, and even though AZ Attorney's own article acknowledges the JPR Commission's review is worthless since judges receiving 99.6% scores, and even though it's pretty obvious to us the reason the AZ Bar decided to run a piece on judicial retention is because of the stir this website is creating (we're well over 1000 unique visitors per day thanks to J.D. Hayworth), the AZ bar is so biased they refuse to provide information to educate voters if it goes against their politically correct agenda.

(the AZ Attorney article will be available shortly here)

Liberal blog rates the judges

2008-10-20T06:42:00.005-07:00

Thanks to the far left liberal blog Netroots for rating the judges, providing us with more input on who to vote for - so we can do precisely the opposite of what they recommend. We've incorporated their information, as noted, into our guide.

Stay tuned - we're supposed to be getting information any day now about the judges' illegal immigration decisions. We're also going to see if we can figure out how to make a printable sheet of just the judges on the ballot.

Information on retention of judges

2008-10-14T17:42:00.004-07:00

We have been asked about how difficult it will be to oust a judge from office through a retention election. A judge simply needs to receive a majority of yes votes cast in his/her race in order to be retained. According to the AZ Commission on Judicial Performance Review, there would need to be a 127,500 vote difference (127,500 voters who vote yes for the average judge would need to change their vote to no).

For an excellent summary of the problem with retention elections, see the Center for Arizona Policy's analysis. Also, the nobadjudges.com website targeted two judges in 2004, but had little success, swaying only 23,000 votes. Unfortunately it was not launched until after early ballots had gone out in the mail. This website was launched prior to that, although we haven't fully obtained all of the information we'd like to provide, the attorneys we talk to are terrified of the Arizona State Bar investigating them if they criticize judges.

Look at the criteria used by the commission to rate judges. It's incredulous that there is nothing about judicial philosophy or judicial activism, the most important issues to most voters. (this link goes to the commission's review of Judge Crane McClennan, the only judge they chose not to recommend retaining). They may as well rate a judge's "friendliness" and "personal hygiene," those shallow criteria could be slipped into the list without anyone noticing.

Does anyone have any information on judges outside of Maricopa County?

2008-10-10T08:48:00.001-07:00

We've been getting numerous requests for information on judges outside of Maricopa County. If you have any knowledge of their political views/rulings, please email us at azjudgesreview-at-gmail.com.

Maricopa County Superior Court judges has been updated significantly

2008-10-07T14:27:00.003-07:00

We're almost done, just a few more updates within the next day or two.

AZ Supreme Court justices

2008-09-12T16:50:00.023-07:00

Andrew Hurwitz
Extremely liberal.
Napolitano appointee - 2003
FOJ (Friend of Janet) - co-chair of her transition team to Governor's office.
Chief of staff to Democrat governors Bruce Babbit and Rose Mofford.
Worked at criminal defense firm Osborn Maledon.
On board of directors of left wing Children's Action Alliance.
On board of directors of left wing Center for the Public Interest.

Rebecca Berch Presiding Justice UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Moderate to liberal.
Hull appointee - 2002

Berch has presided over a Supreme Court that is soft on the death penalty, gutted the hour restrictions on strip clubs, added a requirement that prosecutors prove aggravating factors before trial in death penalty cases (another activist ruling that slows these already slow cases), presided over the chaos in the Maricopa County courts and refused to do anything about it. Under Berch, the Arizona Supreme Court tilts left on key issues related to crime and values. It has allowed a left-wing State Bar that it supervisors to run wild and become corrupted.

Came down on the prolife side of a decision involving taxpayer funding of abortions.

Ruth McGregor
Extremely liberal.
Hull appointee - 1998

Came down on the pro-abortion side of a decision involving taxpayer funding of abortions.

Michael Ryan
Conservative.
Hull appointee- 2002
Former prosecutor and Marine.

Scott Bales*
Extremely liberal.
Napolitano appointee - 2005
FOJ (Friend of Janet), worked with her at the AG's office and at her law firm Lewis & Roca
Active in the left wing Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, won the criminal defense Foundation for Justice award.

AZ Court of Appeals judges

2008-09-12T15:12:00.040-07:00

Division I

Dan Barker UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Conservative.
Appointed by Governor Hull in 2001.
Former attorney in private practice and Superior Court judge.

Michael Brown UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Moderate. Old Arizona Democrat style.
Appointed by Governor Napolitano in 2007.

Margaret Downie
Liberal.
Appointed in 2008 by Governor Napolitano.
Experienced trial judge.

John Gemmill UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Moderate to conservative - due to his libertarian persuasion.
Appointed by Governor Hull in 2001.
On the board of directors for Moon Valley Bible Church and Christian Family Care Agency.
Chief Judge of the division.

Philip Hall UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Conservative.
Appointed by Governor Hull in 2001.
Former prosecutor and Superior Court judge.

Pat Irvine UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Moderate Democrat.
Appointed by Governor Jane Hull in 2002.
Generally well-liked.

Diane Johnsen
Very liberal.
Appointed by Napolitano in 2006.
Board member of the left wing Center for Law and the Public Interest for years, board member of left wing Children's Action Alliance.
Has virtually no trial experience or criminal law experience, former law partner with liberal Supreme Court Justices Hurwitz and Bales at left-leaning Osborn Maledon.
Currently being considered for a Supreme Court appointment.

Donn Kessler
Moderate Democrat
Extensive trial experience.

Patricia Norris
Very liberal.
Appointed in 2003 by Governor Napolitano.

Patricia Orozco
Very liberal.
Appointed in 2004 by Governor Napolitano.
Former staff attorney with left-leaning Legal Aid.

Maurice Portley
Moderate Democrat.
Appointed in 2003 by Governor Napolitano.
Experienced trial judge and former JAG attorney.

Peter Swann
Liberal to moderate.
Appointed in 2008 by Governor Napolitano.
Very experienced trial judge.

Ann Scott Timmer
Very liberal.
Appointed in 2000 by Governor Jane Hull.
Assisted in impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham, former President of left-leaning Arizona Women Lawyers Association, served on board of left-leaning Community Legal Services.

Jon Thompson UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Conservative.
Appointed by Governor Symington in 1995.
Former prosecutor and Superior Court judge.

Sheldon Weisberg
Moderate to conservative.
Appointed in 1992 by Governor Fife Symington.

Lawrence Winthrop UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION

Liberal Republican who almost changed parties and became a Democrat.
Appointed in 2002 by Governor Jane Hull.

Division 2 (southern half of Arizona)

NOT CLEAR IF ANY ARE UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION

William Brammer
Moderate.
Appointed in 1997

Peter Eckerstrom
Extremely liberal
Appointed by Napolitano in 2003.
Entire background is criminal defense.

Philip Espinosa
Conservative.
Appointed in 1992 by Governor Fife Symington.

Virginia Kelly
Brand-new judge appointed by Brewer in 2009, don't have any information on her.

Garye Vasquez
Extremely liberal.
Appointed by Napolitano in 2005.

Maricopa County Superior Court judges

2008-08-26T15:29:00.055-07:00

MUNDELL, Barbara Rodriguez Presiding Judge

ABRAMS, Helene* Criminal

Most likely a Democrat

Napolitano appointee - 2007

Former criminal defense attorney - public defender

Appointed to Supreme Court Commission on Minorities
The left wing blog Netroots praised her for suppressing a confession in a child molestation case, allowing a high school teacher to get off scot-free

Rating: 0

ACETO, Mark F. Presiding Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Symington appointee - 1995
Former prosecutor
Conservatives have a very favorable opinion of this judge
Rating:

AKERS, Linda A.* Juvenile
Symington appointee - 1996
Former prosecutor
Member of U.S. District Court Gender Equity Task Force
Considered a mediocre attorney by reputable attorneys, but a tough sentencer, even the left wing blog Netroots considers her tough on crime
Considered difficult to deal with in court
Rating: 7

ANDERSON, Aimee Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Former criminal defense attorney and prosecutor
One reputable prosecutor who regularly appears in front of Anderson does not believe she is liberal.
Rating:

ANDERSON, Arthur Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 1999
Former civil litigation attorney
This judge can be gruff to appear in front of
Considered fair by reputable attorneys, but slightly soft on crime
Rating:

BALLINGER, Eddward Jr.* Civil
Republican
Hull appointee - 1998
Former tax attorney
Note - although was formerly Criminal Presiding Judge, was not member of any criminal defense leaning organizations
Reputable attorneys say that if doesn't like your case, he's terrible. Considered moderate on sentencing crime.
Rating:

BARTON, Janet Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 2000
Former commercial litigation attorney
Rating:

BASSETT, Edward Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2008
Former criminal defense attorney - public defender
Rating:

BEENE, James Family
Conservative
Brewer appointee
Rating: 10

BERGIN, Dawn Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Former attorney at Napolitano's old firm, Lewis & Roca
Rating:

BLAKEY, II, A. Craig* Civil
Republican
Symington appointee - 2002
Formerly in private practice
Everyone who appears in front of this judge loves him and say he's fair
Solid conservative
Rating: 10

BRNOVICH, Susan Criminal
Conservative
Rating: 10

BRODMAN, Roger Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Republican, moderate
Formerly in private practice
Symington appointee - 2002

BROTHERTON, William Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Formerly a far left legislator
Inductee in Sierra Club Hall of Fame, member of Attorneys for Criminal Justice
Rating: 0

BUDOFF, Robert Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Symington appointee - 2000
Formerly in private practice
Have heard that he is biased against fathers in divorce/custody cases
Very liberal
Rating: 0

BURKE, Edward O. Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Considered soft on crime.
Symington appointee - 1999
Formerly in private practice
Rating: 0

BUTTRICK, John A.* Spec. Assgn. Civil
Libertarian, very well-liked by conservatives too
Symington appointee - 2001
Formerly in private practice
Graduated from Harvard Law School
Rating: 10

CHAVEZ, Harriett Presiding Northwest/Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2003
Rating:

COHEN, Bruce* Family
appears to be a RINO
Napolitano appointee - 2005
Formerly in private practice & a prosecutor
Rating:

CONTES, Connie* Criminal
Hull appointee - 2002
Formerly worked for the Office of the Public Defender
Rating:

DAVIS, Glenn* Civil
Democrat
Napolitano - 2006
Former attorney to the Democrats in the legislature
Contributed to AZ State Democrat Party
Rating: 0

DAVIS, Norman J. Juvenile & Associate Presiding Judge UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Republican
Symington appointee - 1995
Formerly an attorney in private practice
Rating:

DITSWORTH, John* Criminal
Republican
Hull appointee - 2001
Former prosecutor
Reportedly an even-tempered, competent, and fair judge
Rating: 8

DONAHOE, Gary Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 2000
Former attorney in civil litigation
Held the Sheriff's Office in contempt for its inability to bring inmates to court on time, even though the problem was due to the Board of Supervisors slashing the Sheriff's budget by 15%. (the court has a cozy relationship with the Supervisors, and will not rule against them in cases because the Supervisors have promised the judges a brand-new $340 million court tower with penthouse offices).
He also removed the County Attorney's Office from prosecuting Supervisor Stapley, saying there was a conflict, but ignored the real conflict which was that the Supervisors' attorney Tom Irvine (a former attorney for the Democrat Party) is also the attorney for the Court.
Rating: 2

DUNCAN, (Schneider) Sally Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2004
Former criminal defense attorney - public defender
Reputed to be a very lenient criminal judge except on domestic violence crimes
Rating: 0

DUNEVANT, III, Thomas* Presiding Tax Court/Civil
Democrat
Mofford appointee - 1989
Former prosecutor
Reputable attorneys have a negative opinion of him
Rating: 2

FENZEL, Alfred Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Republican
Hull appointee - 1999
Reputable attorneys have a good opinion of him, but he's considered a little soft on crime
Former prosecutor

FINK, Dean Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2006
Former attorney at Napolitano's Lewis & Roca firm
Rating:

FLORES, Lisa* Family
Napolitano appointee and FOJ (Friend of Janet) - 2005
RINO
Former General Counsel for Governor Hull, where she was responsible for many of Hull's bad judicial picks, including Ruth MacGregor
Rating: less than 0

FOSTER, George H. Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Considered somewhat liberal, but is one of the most pleasant judges.
Democrat
Hull or Napolitano appointee - 2003
Former managing attorney with Wilenchik & Bartness
Past instructor, Project Business – teaching free enterprise to middle school children
Rating:

GAINES, Pendleton Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 1999
Formerly in commercial litigation
Rating: 10

GAMA, J. Richard Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 2000
Democrat but considered tough on crime
Considered liberal
Former trial attorney
One reputable prosecutor who appears regularly in front of Gama does not think he is liberal.
Rating: 2 (recently lowered his ranking)

GARCIA, Jeanne* Civil
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2005
Considered soft on crime
Formerly worked at the AG's Office
Rating: 0

GASS, David Family
Democrat
Former Director of Legislative Affairs for Terry Goddard, law clerk to Ruth McGregor
Rating: 0

GATES, Pamela
Brewer appointee - 2009
Wife of Phoenix City Councilman Bill Gates
Rating: 10

GENTRY-LEWIS, Jo Lynn* Family
Napolitano appointee - 2005
Former government attorney
Former tribal attorney, active in Native American causes
Rating:

GERLACH, Douglas
Brewer appointee - 2010
Has criminal defense background

GORDON, Michael* Family
Napolitano appointee - 2005
Former criminal defense attorney - public defender
Considered soft on crime
Rating: 0

GOTTSFIELD, Robert L. Criminal
Lawyers refer to him as "crazy Bob" due to his erratic behavior, but he's fast.
Soft on drug crimes

GRANT, Larry Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2003
Former criminal defense attorney - public defender, briefly a prosecutor
Very liberal, accuses police officers of racial profiling
Rating: 0

GRANVILLE, Warren J. Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Republican
Reputedly is very liberal in his decisions - as one commenter noted - yes although he is a registered Republican, he has been very liberal in his rulings unfortunately.
Hull appointee - 2000
Rating: 0

HANNAH, John* Juvenile
Napolitano appointee - 2005
Formerly very active in criminal defense, including AZ Capital Representation Project
Rating: 0

HARRISON, Cari A.* Criminal
Hull appointee - 2001
Formerly worked for the AG's office and in private practice
Reputable prosecutors say she is conservative
Rating: 8

HAUSER, Brian R. Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Symington or Mofford appointee - 1991
Former government attorney
Reputable attorneys consider him a decent judge, although moderate on crime
Rating:

HEGYI, Hugh Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Former assistant to a Democrat Senator
Formerly worked at the AG's office and in private practice
Active in State Bar's left wing Legal Services Committee
Rating: 0

HEILMAN, Joseph B. Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Hull appointee - 1999
Former prosecutor
Criticized Maricopa County Attorney's Office crackdowns on sex offender plea bargains from the bench. Showed lack of neutrality and left-leaning views. Considered a soft sentencer, but is about as balanced as you're going to find in a Democrat appointee. Is pro-2nd amendment and a hunter.
Rating: 3

HICKS, Bethany G. Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 1999
Considered soft on crime and invents laws
Former family law practitioner
Rating: 0

HILLIARD, Ruth H.* Family
Republican
Babbitt appointee - 1985
Left wing blog Netroots describes her as "very liberal"
Formerly in civil litigation
Rating:

HOAG, M. Jean Associate Presiding Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Mofford appointee - 1996
Former prosecutor
Reputable attorneys consider her ok
Rating:

HOFFMAN, Kristin C.* Criminal
Napolitano appointee - 2006
Liberal blog says she's pro-abortion and biased towards women and feminist views
Doesn't follow the law
Rating: 0

HYATT, Carey Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Republican
Former prosecutor
Hull appointee - 2000
Rating:

ISHIKAWA, Brian K. Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Republican
Symington appointee - 1995
Former attorney in private practice
Rating: 10

JONES, Michael D. Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Symington appointee - 1995
Former prosecutor
Considered lazy & a pushover
Rating: 7
Note - we have recently upped his rating, due to new information

KATZ, Paul A.* Family
Democrat
Mofford appointee - 1989
Reputable attorneys have a poor opinion of him
Left wing blog Netroots describes him as "very liberal"
Former government attorney
Rating: 0

KEMP, Michael* Criminal
Most likely a Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2005
Former prosecutor
Reputed to be a fair judge, well-liked
Rating: 8

KEPPEL, James H. Juvenile
Republican
Symington appointee - 1996
Former prosecutor and briefly a public defender
Rating: 9

KILEY, Daniel Family
Brewer appointee - 2010

KLEIN, Andrew* Special Assn/Civil
Probably a Republican
Hull appointee - 2001
Former attorney in private practice
Has a reputation for being a fair, level-headed judge
Rating: 10

KREAMER, Joseph Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Board of Directors, left wing Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education
Former chair and active in State Bar's left wing Legal Services Committee
Rating: 0

LECLAIRE, Thomas Family
Brewer appointee - 2010
Former prosecutor

LEE, Raymond Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Napolitano appointee - 2003
Worked for the AG's office and in private practice
On the AZ Bar Commission on Women and Minorities, AZ Ass. of Defense Counsel
Rating: 0

MAHONEY, Margaret R.* Criminal
Independent
Hull appointee - 2002
Former attorney in commercial litigation
Rating:

MANGUM, J. Kenneth Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Mofford or Symington appointee - 1991
Former JAG attorney
Reputable attorneys consider him a decent judge
Rating:

MARTIN, Daniel Family Court UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Former attorney in private practice
Rating: 0

MCCLENNEN, Crane* Juvenile
Democrat
Symington appointee - 1997
Former prosecutor
Prolife
Wrote books on Evidence, more of an academic
Left wing blog Netroots says he is tough on crime
The only judge the Commission on Judicial Review recommended not retaining in 2008. We got the full scoop on it. The Judicial Performance Review Commission gave him a poor rating because he received poor reviews from criminal defense attorneys. As an academic expert on trials, he doesn't put up with sloppily prepared attorneys. He takes time to educate them on procedure, which can back up his calendar. Considered possibly the smartest judge on the bench. Ends up ruling tough on crime and conservatively because he rules in favor of the best presented case, not emotional arguments or hastily made decisions not made on the full facts.
Rating: 9

MCMURDIE, Paul* Special Assignment
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2006
Former prosecutor
He is tough on crime. Former homicide prosecutor.
Rating: 8

MCNALLY, Colleen* Presiding Family
Hull appointee - 2001
Considered soft on crime
Former prosecutor and public defender
Rating: 0

MCVEY, Michael R.* Family
Republican
Symington appointee - 1993
Prolife
Formerly worked at the AG's office
Rating: 9

MILES, Linda H.* Family
Hull appointee - 2001
Former attorney in private practice
Reputable attorneys have a mixed opinion of her
Rating:

MILES, Robert* Family
Napolitano appointee - 2005
Reputable attorneys have a mixed opinion of him
Former attorney in private practice
Rating:

MROZ, Rosa Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Napolitano appointee - 2004
Former government attorney
Reputable attorneys say she is very liberal
Rating: 0

MYERS, Sam Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Former legislative intern to Democrat Senator Dennis DeConcini
Former prosecutor
Rating: 3

NORRIS, Benjamin Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2008
Formely in private practice and litigation for the US District Attorney
Rating:

O'CONNOR, Karen L. Probate/Mental Health Presiding Judge UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 2000
Considered fair
Former prosecutor
Rating: 10

OBERBILLIG, Robert* Civil
Hull appointee - 1998
Formerly on board of directors, Arizona Association of Defense Counsel
Fellow, left wing Arizona Bar Foundation
Left wing blog Netroots says he turned out to be more liberal than Governor Hull expected
Rating: 0

PADILLA, Jose* Family
Almost certain he is a Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2005
Active in radical leftist hispanic group La Raza during law school
Former nurse
Rating: 0

PALMER, David Family
Brewer appointee - 2009
Former prosecutor

PINEDA, Susanna Family Court UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Appears to be a RINO
Formerly worked at the AG's office
One reputable prosecutor who regularly appears in front of Pineda does not believe she is liberal.
Rating:

POTTS, Karen* Family
Napolitano appointee - 2006
Former Vice President, the far left Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest
Formerly worked at the AG's office and in private practice
Worked on AZ Bar disciplinary issues
Appears to be a Republican, prolife, and socially conservative
Rating:

RAYES, Douglas Civil UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 2000
Considered soft on crime
Former JAG attorney
Rating: 0

REA, John Associate Presiding Family Court UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2004
Former staff attorney for the AZ Supreme Court
Rating:

REINSTEIN, Peter Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 1999
Former prosecutor
Rating: 10

RONAN, Emmet J. Presiding Southeast/Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Hull appointee - 2000
Former criminal defense attorney - public defender
Defended some of the most heinous criminals in the state
Rating:

RYAN, Timothy J.* Associate Presiding Criminal Judge
Democrat
Former criminal defense attorney - public defender, and prosecutor
Has a very liberal reputation on the bench
Has a poor record of enforcing Prop. 100, no bail for illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes
Prolife
Rating: 3

SANDERS, Teresa A.* Criminal
Democrat
Hull appointee - 2001
Former prosecutor
Considered tough on crime
Rating:

STEINLE, III, Roland J.* Special Assignment/Criminal
Republican
Hull appointee - 2001
Former criminal defense attorney - public defender
Active in criminal defense organizations
Left wing blog Netroots says he is biased towards criminal defense
Reputable attorneys say he does a lousy job
Rating: 2

STEPHENS, Sherry K.* Family
Hull appointee - 2001
Formerly worked at AG's office
Considered middle of the road when it comes to sentencing, but is pleasant to appear in front of
Rating:

TALAMANTE, David M. Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Independent
Hull appointee - 1999
Formerly worked for AG's office and left wing community legal services
Considered somewhat fair, middle of the road, not biased towards criminal defense but not considered a tough sentencer
Rating:

THOMPSON, Peter Juvenile
Brewer appointee - 2010
Former police attorney and military reservist

THUMMA, Samuel Juvenile UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Former law clerk for liberal Democrat AZ Chief Justice Stanley G. Feldman
Member, Diversity Task Force and Ethics Committee, State Bar of Arizona
Has a reputation for attacking attorneys and getting them in trouble
Rating: 0

UDALL, David K.* Criminal
Republican
Hull appointee - 2001
Former prosecutor
Considered a somewhat tough sentencer
Rating:

VERDIN, Maria del Mar Criminal UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 1999
Former criminal defense attorney - public defender

WARNER, Randall Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Former law clerk to liberal AZ Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Zlaket
State Bar of Arizona, Editorial Committee, left wing Arizona Attorney Magazine
Arizona Association of Defense Counsel
Circulated anti-marriage petitions for Napolitano and was rewarded with a judgeship for it
Rating: 0

WELTY, Joseph C. Family UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2007
Former prosecutor
Rating:

WHITTEN, Christopher* Criminal
Democrat
Napolitano appointee - 2006
Former prosecutor and private practice
Rating:

WILLETT, Eileen Juvenile Presiding Judge UP FOR RETENTION ELECTION
Hull appointee - 1999
Former attorney in private practice
Rating: 10

Welcome to AZ Judges Review

2008-08-26T15:12:00.007-07:00

This blog will provide information on judges in Arizona for voters to make informed decisions on who to vote for. It will attempt to cover as many judges in the state as possible. Because Maricopa County only has retention elections, most voters know very little about our judges. The judges never have to run for initial election since they are appointed solely by the governor, they only run later for retention election in nonpartisan races. Their judicial biographies do not say which party they belong to. The Superior Court bios don't even say which governor appointed them, which would provide some insight into their political persuasions, so we have provided that information.

We hope to provide information on judges that the Arizona Commission on Judicial Review does not, like what a candidate's political views are, and whether they have biases on the bench. For too long the Commission has rubber stamped almost all judges for reelection, which isn't helpful for most voters who would like to know which judges are soft on crime, have been involved in scandals, or are otherwise predisposed. This year, the commission only recommended not retaining one judge, Maricopa Superior Court judge Crane McClennan (who we have a mixed opinion of - he's a lot better than half the other judges). Please email us at azjudgesreview-at-gmail.com if you have any information to contribute. All information will be kept confidential. If you would rather leave us a private comment anonymously instead of an email, please leave a comment after this post. All comments are moderated so if you indicate it's not for publication, we will respect your privacy.

Due to the arguably unconstitutional AZ Bar Rule prohibiting attorneys from criticizing judges, this website is run by non-attorneys.