An announcement regarding the selection of judges, from the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review:

Commission Invites Public To Comment on Performance of Justices and Judges on 2012 General Election Ballot

The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review will hold public hearings at the following times and locations to take comments from the public about the judges on the 2012 retention election ballot:

March 7, 2012 – Phoenix

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Arizona State Courts Building

1501 W. Washington Street

Conference Room 345

March 14, 2012 – Tucson

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

West Side Police Service Center

1310 West Miracle Mile

Rillito Room

March 21, 2012 – Florence

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Pinal County Justice Center

971 Jason Lopez Circle

Building A

Established in 1992 by a constitutional amendment passed by voters, the 30-member Commission is charged with conducting performance reviews of judges. It sets performance standards for judges, decides whether or not a judge meets those standards, and publishes its findings for voters.

In addition to holding the public hearings, the Commission surveyed litigants, witnesses, jurors, people who represented themselves in court, staff and attorneys who appeared before Superior Court judges from August 29 through December 30, 2011. Surveys on appellate court justices and judges are distributed throughout their term. More than 57,000 surveys on Arizona judges were distributed in 2011.

The Commission’s findings will be released to the public before the 2012 general election in the Secretary of State’s Voter Pamphlet. The findings will also be available on the Commission’s website. Voters will decide whether judges remain in office on November 6.

Any citizen may appear at a public hearing or send written comments by April 15, 2012, to the Commission on Judicial Performance Review, 1501 West Washington, Suite 221, Phoenix, AZ 85007-3231. Comments can also be sent through the Commission’s web page.

Comments are invited on the following judges:

Arizona Supreme Court:

Andrew D. Hurwitz

A John Pelander III

Court of Appeals, Division I:

Margaret H. Downie

Donn G. Kessler

Patricia K. Norris

Maurice Portley

Peter Swann

Court of Appeals, Division II:

Peter J. Eckerstrom

Philip G. Espinosa

Joseph W. Howard

Virginia Kelly

Superior Court in Maricopa County:

Helene F. Abrams

Eddward P. Ballinger

James P. Beene

A. Craig Blakey, II

Susan M. Brnovich

John A. Buttrick

Bruce R. Cohen

Connie Contes

Christopher A. Coury

Glenn Davis

John R. Ditsworth

Lisa Daniel Flores

Jeanne M. Garcia

David B. Gass

Pamela Gates

Jo Lynn Gentry-Lewis

Douglas Gerlach

Michael D. Gordon

John R. Hannah, Jr.

Cari A. Harrison

Kristin Hoffman

Michael W. Kemp

Daniel J. Kiley

Andrew G. Klein

Thomas L. LeClaire

Margaret R. Mahoney

Crane McClennen

M. Scott McCoy

Paul J. McMurdie

Colleen A. McNally

Michael R. McVey

Linda H. Miles

Robert E. Miles

Robert H. Oberbillig

Jose S. Padilla

David J. Palmer

Karen A. Potts

Timothy J. Ryan

Teresa A. Sanders

Roland J. Steinle, III

Sherry K. Stephens

Peter A. Thompson

David K. Udall

Christopher T. Whitten

Superior Court in Pima County:

Karen S. Adam

Gus Aragón

Deborah Bernini

Kyle A. Bryson

Carmine Cornelio

Jane L. Eikleberry

Richard S. Fields

Richard Gordon

Howard Hantman

Jan E. Kearney

Kenneth Lee

John S. Leonardo

Leslie B. Miller

Michael Miller

Clark W. Munger

Scott H. Rash

Sarah R. Simmons

Christopher P. Staring

Paul E. Tang

Stephen C. Villarreal

Superior Court in Pinal County:

J. Rudy Georgini

Boyd T. Johnson

Stephen F. McCarville

Robert Carter Olson

Janna L. Vanderpool