Many Judicial Officers are Settling into their New Assignments
PHOENIX (November 6, 2024) – Presiding over cases where all litigants have counsel to handling matters where none of the participants are represented is just one of the many adjustments Judge Amanda Parker has made going from the Juvenile to the Family Department.
Months after the annual June rotation, Judge Parker is one of 30-plus judicial officers who are settling into their new assignment. These judges and commissioners, are sitting in courtrooms, hearing new circumstances and interpreting new laws. Many, like Judge Parker, are experiencing an area of law for the first time.
“To be frank, it has been like drinking water out of the proverbial firehose. The paperwork is voluminous, and the caseloads are monumental. I was never a family law practitioner before taking the bench. So, it’s been a lot to get used to. I’m still getting used to it,” Judge Parker said. “There have also been plenty of bright moments already. Like giving pro se litigants the forum and opportunity to harmoniously resolve big life issues together. Or helping parents feel heard as they navigate their disagreements through the court system.”
Prior to her Family Department rotation, Judge Parker was assigned to a therapeutic court in the Juvenile Department. In that role, she was called upon to facilitate conversation, let individuals be heard and help people work as a team to achieve difficult goals.
“I am hoping I can bring the same approach from my juvenile assignment to family court, where appropriate,” Judge Parker said.
Judge David Garbarino, who is transitioning from Downtown Phoenix to the Northwest Regional Court Center in Surprise, is also new to the Family Department.
“The new assignment has been going well. The people in Northwest are fantastic to work with, and I am looking forward to working with them going forward. A new rotation always has some bumps, and we are working through those at this time to find our groove,” Judge Garbarino said.
To his surprise, it has been tricky to correctly call cases on the record.
“In my past rotation, criminal, the judge asks a defendant to state his/her name and date of birth at the start of each court proceeding. In family, we just need the parties’ names. Nevertheless, as a creature of habit, I still ask for a party’s date of birth at least once a day,” Judge Garbarino said.
Previously, Judge Garbarino served in the Civil and Criminal Departments, and he has a background in accounting.
“I have no experience in family whatsoever, but I believe that I bring a unique perspective to the department,” Judge Garbarino said. “It will be interesting to see how my prior experience and background shape my approach to family cases.”
For others who rotated, like Civil Department Judge Randall Warner, their new assignment is very familiar. Judge Warner, a civil practitioner his whole career, served on the civil bench including a stint as civil presiding judge for three years.
“The transition to civil has been smooth. I’ve done civil before, so nothing yet has been hard. Though I’m a little scared of the new online systems for jury questionnaires and jury management,” Judge Warner said. “I hope I can be a resource for others, and not too much of a pest to the civil presiding judge.”
Each year, the presiding judge rotates judges and commissioners between the Criminal, Civil, Probate, Juvenile and the Family Department to keep them fresh and expose them to different areas of law. This gives the Court a versatile bench that can adjust to fluctuating case filings across departments when needed.
The largest rotation occurs in June but depending on the needs of the Court, judicial officers may be reassigned to new departments throughout the year. The Court must continually account for special circumstances like new judge appointments, retirements or an increase in case filings and new programs.
To see which judicial officers recently rotated and to view all the assignments of Superior Court judges and commissioners, please visit: https://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/JudicialBiographies