PHOENIX (Nov. 12, 2026) – A specialized court that has grown into the Maricopa County Regional Homeless Court is celebrating 20 years of helping individuals experiencing homelessness overcome barriers to stability and self-sufficiency. The court helps participants address legal barriers to housing and employment and connect with a path to recovery. As it marks this milestone, the court has also relocated to a new Valley location on the Keys to Change campus.
“It's a great place to celebrate their accomplishment. It's a beautiful facility and what they're doing is great. So why not be in a great building?” said Peoria Municipal Court Judge Thomas J. Parascandola. “Here we have new furniture, we have a good waiting area. I think that helps the participants feel that they’re respected and that they’re being taken seriously.”
At the Maricopa County Regional Homeless Court, misdemeanor cases and warrants from limited jurisdiction courts are combined and may be heard at the same time, helping individuals avoid driving to multiple courts to resolve their cases.
“Every month we have a different limited jurisdiction court judge volunteer to preside over the docket,” said Program Manager Karen Sadler. “Our program is not only held in person, but it's also virtual. So, it's helped us with accessibility and further outreach to our community.”
In Maricopa County, there are over 40 courts including municipal courts and justice courts, and many individuals have fines that build up over time across multiple Valley courts.
“If you imagine someone who's lost their job, ended up on the streets in their car, they get a parking ticket, they can't pay for the insurance, they get a ‘no insurance violation,’ which is a minimum of over $1,000. It adds up quickly, and then they get a quality-of-life criminal ticket for trespassing,” said Mesa Municipal Court Judge Umi Novell. “So, enabling them the opportunity through community restitution to eliminate those fines, to start fresh and to move forward is life changing.”
Lisa Vigil struggled with mental health and substance use and lived at a Valley shelter. But she recently turned her life around, and with her case worker’s encouragement and guidance, completed the Regional Homeless Court program.
“Two tickets were taken off my record,” said Vigil. “It was a lot, about $1,050. I don't have that much money in my pocket. I want to go to school to become a licensed clinical social worker, and one of the barriers was my background.”
“This is not a handout to somebody. It is basically a hand up we are giving them,” said Phoenix Municipal Court’s Assistant Presiding Judge James P. Hernandez. “They're taking advantage of tools and resources to help themselves. They have a good peer support group to help them accomplish their goals. They’re going to have to finish the program and it's going to be very rigorous. Everybody that participates and graduates has gone through a rigorous program, and they've earned what they receive at the end.”
According to the Maricopa Regional Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count, 9,726 people experienced homelessness on the night of January 26, 2026. The report shows a 12 percent decrease in the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and a 14 percent increase in the sheltered population compared with 2025, highlighting shifts in how individuals experiencing homelessness are accessing shelter and services.
A 20th anniversary celebration for Homeless Court is scheduled for November 13, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 301 West Jefferson Street in Phoenix.
To RSVP, please email the Office of Communications at CourtPIO@jbazmc.maricopa.gov.
For more information about the Maricopa County Regional Homeless Court, visit: https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/departments/superior-court/homeless-court/