Fairness, Respect, Integrity, Innovation and Safety November 2017

Judicial Branch News

Story on Page 3

Building Forever Families

Judicial Branch News

The Judicial Branch News is an online newsletter published by the Media Relations Department.

Contributing WritersJudge Bradley Astrowsky

Contributing EditorsBryan BouchardVincent Funari

Dennis CarpenterClara Colmenero

Norma Quiroz

Features

3 Building Forever Families

4 Judge Alfred Fenzel Announces Retirement

5 Employee Anniversaries

6 Judge John Ditsworth Retires

7 Judge Our Performance 2017

8 Judge Pro Tem Recruitment

Vol 11 Issue 11 Contents

November 2017

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Captain America makes an appearance at National Adoption Day.

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Court News

National Adoption Day: Forever Families

Judge Bradley Astrowsky “dabs” with a family following their adoption.

As part of Maricopa County’s 18th Annual National Adoption Day, Superior Court finalized 261 adoptions on Nov.18 at the Juvenile Durango Building in Phoenix.

The Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County has organized one of the largest National Adoption Day eventsin the country for years, and 2017 was no different.

“This year’s event was a wonderful day,” said Presiding Juvenile Judge Timothy J. Ryan. “Approximately 36 judges from all over Maricopa County, including retired judges, appellate judges, judges from other Court Departments, and our own Juvenile Department judges all look forward to this event, which we could not accomplish without the tireless efforts of attorneys, adoption agencies, adoption professionals, child advocates and members of the public, who work year after year to make National Adoption Day a very special day for these families and their children.”

National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the more than 100,000 children in foster care waiting to find permanent, loving families. Some of the children, who range in age from newborns to teenagers, are victims of abandonment, neglect and abuse.

The festive atmosphere of National Adoption Day was heightened by various exciting and entertaining activities for the whole family, including face painting, inflatable bouncy houses, superhero characters, games for kids, photosof the newly established families, as well as cake and ice cream.

Friends and family members showed up in full force to support the adoptions of their loved ones.

Commissioner Veronica Brame invites a family to the bench for a photo to commemorate their adoption.

Face painting was just one of the many activities for children who attended National Adoption Day.

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Court News

Superior Court Judge Alfred Fenzel and his Judicial Assistant Susan Wood announced their retirement from the Superior Court Bench effective Nov. 30.

Judge Fenzel joined the bench as a Commissioner in May of 1998. He was appointed as a judge 18 months later. During his 18 years as a judge, he served six years on criminal, five years on juvenile, four years on family and three years on civil.

“Judge Fenzel exemplifies procedural fairness. He always listened to those who came before him and treated them with respect and dignity so that even when they were disappointed in the end result, they left our facilities knowing they were heard and truly had their day in court. Thank you Al for representing the Court so well over the last 18 years and good luck in your retirement,” Presiding Judge Janet Barton said.

After his retirement from the Bench, Judge Fenzel will resume his legal career in the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office.

Wood joined the Superior Court 25 years ago as a bailiff and spent the last 19-plus years as the judicial assistant to Judge Fenzel.

Left to right - Courtroom Clerk Arlene Chee, MCSO Detention Officer Trae Cutler, Court Reporter Vanessa Gartner, Judge Alfred Fenzel, Judicial Assistant Susan Wood and Bailiff Samantha Goett.

Judge Alfred Fenzel and Longtime JA Retire

Employee Anniversaries

Court News

Pg 5* Information provided by the Human Resources Department

5 Year

Lana Winterton Judicial Clerk Andrea Garcia Adult Probation Officer Kristin Epperson Adult Probation Officer Derek Kelley Adult Probation Officer Franeva Misquez Judicial Clerk Senior Jenna Pearson Adult Probation Officer Kate Skelton Adult Probation Officer Aaron Smith Adult Probation Officer Suzanne Segarra Adult Probation Officer Natalie Andersen C2C Clinician Marianne Jenson Data Security Analyst

10 Year

Michele Kaley Court Reporter Susan Johnson Judicial Clerk Senior Sierra Flores Adult Probation Officer Raquel Shackelford Administrative Assistant Bobby Wallace Juvenile Detention Officer Clearthur Lane (Jr.) Physical Ed Coordinator Deborah Fisk Bailiff Steven Maki Juv Det Officer Supervisor Pablo Garcia IT Services Supervisor Randall Warner Superior Court Judge

15 Year

Christine Davis Adult Surveillance Officer Monica Pimentel Case Administrator Fred Dell’Ergo Bailiff April Escobedo Court Reporter Supervisor Carlos Rivera Business/Systems Analyst John Biship Adult Probation Officer Bart Careaga Adult Probation Officer Elaine Fernandez Adult Probation Officer Kimberly Moran Adult Probation Officer Michael Wechselberger Adult Probation Officer

20 Year

Tammi Dew Juvenile Probation Officer Roderick Pete Juvenile Detention Officer Carol Piskoty Juvenile Probation Officer Adrian Burns Juvenile Detention Officer Rebecca Gonzales Judicial Clerk Senior

25 Year

Mary Byrnes Management Analyst Elvia Davis Program Coordinator

31-plus Years

Janet Blake Adult Probation Officer Gary Egbert Juvenile Probation Officer

Court News

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Judge John Ditsworth to Retire on a Special DaySuperior Court Judge John Ditsworth announced his retirement effective January 31.

Judge Ditsworth has decided to retire on his wife’s birthday, which will also be the 17th anniversary of his appointment to the bench.

During his time on the bench, Judge Ditsworth has served on each of the four major assignments. He worked six years in the Criminal Department and more than two years in each of the Civil and Juvenile Departments.

“John’s gentle nature, sense of humor, and his commitment to the work of this Court will be sorely missed by those of us who have the good fortune to get to know him well. Please join me in congratulating John on his retirement and wishing him well,” Presiding Judge Janet Barton said.

Judge Ditsworth received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1978 and his bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1974.

Maricopa Medical Center Annex

The Mental Health courtroom at the Maricopa Medical Center Annex, completed in June of 2017, has lightened the caseload at Desert Vista Behavioral Health and provided better care for its patients by eliminating the need to transport patients to Mesa.

Presiding Judge Janet Barton appointed Lindsay Abramson as a Superior Court Commissioner.

Commissioner Abramson is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School. Since March of 2007, she has been employed with the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office.

“For the last couple of years her practice has been 100 percent dedicated to indigent capital defense. Those of us who have had the good fortune of having Lindsay appear in our courtrooms,

can attest to her strong work ethic, knowledge of the law, great personality, and welcoming sense of humor,” Judge Barton said.

Commissioner Abramson fills the vacancy created by Governor Doug Ducey’s appointment of former commissioner Michael Mandell as a Superior Court judge.

Comm. Lindsay Abramson

New Commissioner

Judge John Ditsworth

Court News

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Judge Our Performance 2017

Maricopa County Veterans Day Celebration

Court employees take part in the Maricopa County Veterans Day celebration outside the Central Court Building Nov 8.

Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, at all court locations, conducted a public survey on November 8 to rate the court’s accessibility and its treatment of customers in terms of fairness, equality, and respect. Feedback from the survey has been instrumental in helping the court improve its services.

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Court News