2022 Judicial Retention Ballot

The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review (JPR) is responsible for developing performance standards and thresholds, and conducting performance reviews of justices and judges who are merit selected and subject to retention elections. Currently this includes judges and justices serving on the Arizona Supreme Court, Court of Appeals Division I, Court of Appeals Division II, Coconino County Superior Court, Maricopa County Superior Court, Pima County Superior Court and Pinal County Superior Court.

It is extremely rare for the JPR to make a “does not meet standards” finding. If memory serves, I believe it has only happened three times, one judge in 2008, and two judges in 2014 (and one of them was retained). This year, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Hopkins had 15 votes for “does not meet standards” to 7 vote “meets” to 7 not voting. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Howard D Sukenic had a troubling 13 votes “meets” to 9 votes “does not meet standards” to 7 not voting. Both are Gov. Doug Ducey appointees.

Also troubling is Supreme Court Justice William “Bill” Montgomery, with 19 votes “meets” but 2 votes “does not meet standards” and 8 not voting. That’s one-third against.

For those of you have been around for some time, Bill Montgomery failed to make the cut the first time he applied for a judgeship, but then Gov. Doug Ducey rigged the commission that reviews applicants in order to give a political payback to Bill Montgomery, and Gov. Ducey appointed him on his controversial second try. Gov. Doug Ducey appoints Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery to Arizona Supreme Court. My recommendation is “do not retain” to correct this blatant corruption.

Disappointment: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Hanna, who struck down the Invest In Educaton Act (Prop. 208), and Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Mikitish, who may have just removed the Arizona Fair Elections Act initiative from this year’s ballot are not on the retention ballot this year. What’s the old saying, “revenge is a dish best served cold”? I will remember when your turn on the ballot comes up.

Democrats and Independents may want to start being “strategic” voters when it comes to judges like the Republicans have always done, without regard to judicial qualifications. Gov. Ducey, in his two terms, has been packing the courts with partisan Republicans. If you want to be strategic in voting “do not retain” for Ducey appointed judges, I won’t tell you that you are wrong. This undermines the purpose of a “nonpartisan” Merit Selection System, but then Gov. Doug Ducey and his allies in the Republican legislature have already done this. It is not fair to the individual judges who may be perfectly fine (don’t worry, they will all land high paying jobs with corporate law firms, and most of them are already vested in the State of Arizona pension fund), but purging the courts of Ducey appointed judges seems an appropriate remedy for his politicization of the Merit Selection System and packing the courts with his supporters. It is the “legacy” he is most proud of.

2022 RETENTION JUDGES

ARIZONA SUPREME COURT (Statewide)
Hon. James P. Beene – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. William “Bill” G. Montgomery – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Ann Scott Timmer – Appointed by Gov. Jane Dee Hull

COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION I (Maricopa, Yuma, La Paz, Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo and Apache counties)

Hon. Cynthia J. Bailey – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Michael J. Brown – Appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano
Hon. Kent Cattani – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. David B. Gass – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Steven Williams – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey

County Specific Ballot:

COCONINO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
In 2018, Coconino County voters elected to change the selection of Superior Court Judges from a partisan-popular election to a merit selection-judicial retention election.

Hon. Elaine Fridlund-Horne – First elected in 2010, and reelected in 2014.
Hon. Ted Reed – Appointed judge pro temporein 2011, elected in 2018.
Hon. Dan R. Slayton – Appointed to a vacancy in 2010, reelected in 2014.

MARICOPA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
Hon. Bradley Astrowsky – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Alison S. Bachus – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Michael C. Blair – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. John L. Blanchard – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Mark H. Brain – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Robert I. Brooks – Appointed by Gov. Ducey
Hon. Theodore Campagnolo – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Gregory S. Como – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Katherine M. Cooper – Appointed by Gov. Ja Brewer
Hon. Max-Henri Covil – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Rusty D. Crandell – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Janice K. Crawford – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Kristin Culbertson – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Marvin L. Davis – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Monica B. Edelstein – Appointed y Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Dean M. Fink – Appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano
Hon. Geoffrey Fish – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Dewain Fox – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Jennifer Green – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Michael J. Herrod – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer [Husband of Cathi Herrod from CAP]
Hon. Stephen M. Hopkins – Appointed by Go.v Doug Ducey
Hon. Melissa Iyer Julian – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Joseph S. Kiefer – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Jospeh C. Kreamer – Appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano
Hon. Kerstin G. LeMaire – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Daniel G. Martin – Appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano
Hon. Julie A. Mata – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Frank W. Moskowitz – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Samuel J. Myers – Appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano
Hon. Suzanne M. Nicholls – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Susanna C. Pineda – Appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano
Hon. Jay Polk – Appointed By Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Michael Z. Rassas – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Joshua D. Rogers – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Jeffrey Rueter – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Jennifer Ryan-Touhill – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Aryeh D. Schwartz – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Joan M. Sinclair – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Ronee Korbin Steiner – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Howard D. Sukenic – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Pamela Hearn Svoboda – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Danielle J. Viola –  Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Randall H. Warner – Appointed y Governor Janet Napolitano
Hon. Joseph C. Welty – Appointed by Governor Janiet Napolitano
Hon. Tracey Westerhausen – Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Roy “Chuck” Whitehead – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Cassie Woo – Appointd by Gov. Doug Ducey

PIMA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
Hon. Jeffrey T. Bergin – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Janet Calkins Bostwick – Appoinred by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Christopher C. Browning – Appointed by Gov. Jane Dee Hull
Hon. Javier Chon-Lopez – Appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano
Hon. J. Alan Goodwin – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Peter Hochuli – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Cynthia Kuhn – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Danelle Liwski – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. James E. Marner – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Kathleen A. Quigley – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer
Hon. Laurie B. San Angelo – Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Hon. Catherine M. Woods – Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer

PINAL COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
The 2010 Census showed that Pinal County’s population increased to more than 375,000 over the last decade, graduating to jjoin Maricopa and Pima counties in the merit selection system.

Hon. Steven J. Fuller – First elected in 2010. Scandal in 2018: Prosecutor: Arizona judge accused of sex abuse won’t face charges.
Hon. Delia R. Neal – Appointed by Gov. Ducey
Hon. Daniel A. Washburn – First elected in 2010, retained in 2014.
Hon. Kevin D. White – Appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano, retained in 2014.

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