Pro Tem Judge - Contract Position

City of Mesa; Mesa (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Mesa seeks a Pro Tem Judge to preside over misdemeanor and civil traffic matters within the Mesa Municipal Court. The incumbent will apply relevant rules, statutes, ordinances, and case law to trials and hearings, including jury trials, arraignments, and motions.

Candidates must have 5+ years of experience as a lawyer or judge, be admitted to the Arizona State Bar, and pass required background checks.

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience as a lawyer, judge, or hearing officer in criminal or traffic cases.
• Graduation from an accredited school of law.
• Admission to the Arizona State Bar.
• Background check required by City of Mesa Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and FBI.
• Conditional offer may require background investigation prior to employment.

Responsibilities

• Presides over misdemeanor and civil traffic cases filed with the Mesa Municipal Court.
• Applies Supreme Court Rules, state statutes, City ordinances, and case law when presiding over trials and hearings.
• Presides over trials to the court, jury trials, pre-trial conferences, arraignments, motions, and other hearings.
• Imposes sentences commensurate to the offense and within the parameters allowed by law.
• Determines conditions for release from police custody as applicable.
• Presides over cases in any division of the Mesa Municipal Court in any type of hearing.
• May not represent clients on cases pending in the Mesa Municipal Court.

Skills

Criminal/traffic law experience

Judicial decision-making

Court procedures

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent

Job description

Description/Duties

This recruitment is used to select a pool of Pro Tem Judges. This pool will be contacted to relieve the full-time judges/hearing officer on an as-needed basis, sometimes with short notice. All applications will be reviewed and forwarded to the City Court every two weeks.

About Us

City of Mesa Mission

We are dedicated to providing superior services to our customers in order to improve the quality of life for Mesa residents, businesses and visitors.

Court Mission

As the judicial branch of government, it is our mission to administer fair and impartial justice. We are committed to providing efficient, accurate, consistent, and accessible services. The Mesa Municipal Court is the third largest municipal court in Arizona. It is a limited jurisdiction court. The court has jurisdiction over misdemeanor offenses, civil traffic offenses, violations of City ordinances, and protection orders.

Please access a copy of the Arizona code of Judicial Conduct from the following website:

www.azcourts.gov/azsupremecourt.aspx

About The Position

A Pro Tem Judge presides over misdemeanor and civil traffic cases filed with the Mesa Municipal Court. The incumbent is responsible for applying relevant Supreme Court Rules, state statutes, City ordinances, and case law when presiding over trials to the court, trials to a jury, pre-trial conferences, arraignments, motions, and other hearings. A Pro Tem Judge is also responsible for imposing sentences commensurate to the offense and within the parameters allowed by law. Duties include determining the conditions, which if met, will allow the defendant's release from police custody. The incumbent is expected to preside over cases in any division of the Mesa Municipal Court in any type of court hearing. A Pro Tem Judge may not represent clients on cases pending in the Mesa Municipal Court. Pro Tem Judges are appointed by the Presiding City Magistrate to a specified term.

Qualifications & Requirements

Minimum Qualifications Required. Any combination of training, education, and experience equivalent to extensive (5+ years) experience as a lawyer, judge, or hearing officer in criminal or traffic cases, and graduation from an accredited school of law.

Special Requirements. Admission to the Arizona State Bar Association. For this position, an individual receiving a conditional offer of employment from the City of Mesa must pass a background investigation through the City of Mesa Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Federal Bureau of Investigation prior to commencing employment with the City of Mesa.

Preferred/Desirable Qualifications. Previous judicial experience in misdemeanor cases is preferred.

A Summary of City of Mesa Benefits is linked here.