Judicial Performance Review findings released

The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review is releasing its official findings on the judicial performance of each judge whose name will appear on the 2022 General Election 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. Before you vote, read the JPR reports and get the facts about the judges who appear on the ballot.

Will Auther, Commission Co-Chair/AZ Commission on Judicial Performance Review, discussed these findings.

For more information on the judges from the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review, click here.

What is the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review?

“It’s a commission that is appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court, and it comprises 34 members, geographically and ethnically diverse people. Most of the members are members of the public, with no legal background or training. A small number are judges and a small number are lawyers,” explained Auther.

Who are the members?

“It’s for the merit selected judges, and primarily fo trial court judges it’s Coconino County, Pima County, Maricopa County and Pinal County. The court of appeals and Supreme Court justices it’s statewide,” said Auther.

A merit selected judge is someone who has to go through a selection committee, in which the names are delivered to the Governor’s office, and the Governor will appoint them.

“There is very little public input into who gets appointed to be a judge, and that’s where we come in as the commission. We are doing the review after the judge has been appointed when they are up for retention every certain number of years,” explained Auther. This helps the voters decide which judges to retain and who they shouldn’t.

How are the reviews conducted?

“Each judge will hand out surveys to anyone who comes in contact with the court: lawyers, parties, litigants, jurors, witnesses, court staff. The data gets gathered, and the surveys have several categories: legal reasoning, judicial temperament, basic fairness and equality, and administrative performance,” said Auther.

Communication will then proceed with the commission and the judge to come to an understanding of the data, and if changes need to be made.