Will voters keep judges who upheld Arizona's 1864 abortion ban?
ARIZONA ELECTION 2024
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Arizona voters are being asked to cast ballots in 2024 for several positions tied to the justice system.
Two of the most powerful justice-related jobs in Maricopa County — sheriff and county attorney — are up for grabs.
The sheriff oversees the operation of the county's jails and law enforcement patrols in parts of the county.
The county attorney prosecutes felonies and some misdemeanors and provides legal services to the county's board of supervisors and county departments.
Voters will also be asked to review the performance of judges at the state and county levels, including the Arizona Supreme Court, and elect justices of the peace and constables.
As the campaign season progresses, The Arizona Republic's justice team will gather its reporting on these elections and update this page. You will find information about the candidates and the relevance of these elected offices.
Maricopa County sheriff
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is one of the largest sheriff's offices in the nation, with upward of 3,000 employees, including deputies, jail guards and civilians.
The office patrols unincorporated areas of the county and municipalities without a designated police force. It also serves Superior Court orders and warrants, collects delinquent taxes, coordinates search and rescue missions and oversees the county's five jails.
Who's running: The Democratic candidate for sheriff is former Phoenix police Officer Tyler Kamp, and the Republican candidate is retired Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan.
Full Republic coverage: Read The Republic's complete coverage of the race to be Maricopa County's next sheriff
Maricopa County attorney
The county attorney heads the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, one of the nation's largest prosecutorial agencies.
The office reviews and determines charges for felonies in the county and misdemeanors in unincorporated areas. The office also provides legal services for the Board of Supervisors and county departments and agencies.
Who's running: Judge pro tem Tamika Wooten, a Democrat, is running against Republican incumbent Rachel Mitchell.
In their words: We asked the candidates about abortion, fentanyl and more. Here's what they had to say
Mitchell supports Trump: Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell says she will support Donald Trump for president
Mitchell's plea deal for prison chief: Legal experts questioned Rachel Mitchell’s reasoning behind a plea deal that allowed former Arizona prisons chief Charles Ryan to avoid lockup
Supreme Court appointment hearing: Rachel Mitchell, once a lead Arizona prosecutor, was tapped to lead the hearing of Brett Kavanaugh and a woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her decades ago
Judicial retention
State Supreme Court justices, along with judges on the Court of Appeals and superior courts in Coconino, Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties, face voters after serving their first two years in office. Voters have the opportunity to select whether a justice or judge should remain on the bench. If retained, as the vast majority are, higher court judges (Supreme and Appeals Court judges) will be back up on the ballot every six years and trial court judges (those on the superior courts) every four years.
Who's running: More than 70 judicial officers, including two state Supreme Court justices, are up for retention. Reports on the judicial performance of each judge standing for retention, including the findings from the Commission on Judicial Performance Review, will be published in the secretary of state's voter pamphlet and posted on the commission's website in July.
How we vote on judges: What does it mean for an Arizona judge to be up for retention?
Arizona Supreme Court justices on the ballot: 2 justices who upheld Arizona's 1864 abortion ban are up for retention. Who are they?
Abortion ruling fallout: Campaign seeks to unseat 2 Arizona Supreme Court justices who upheld 1864 abortion ban
Retention recommended for most: Commission determines that one Maricopa County judge does not meet standards
Lawsuit challenges ballot initiative: On June 21, activist group Progress Arizona filed a lawsuit against the state over a ballot measure that would take away voters’ ability to vote for or against county and state judges
Justices of the peace
Justice courts in Arizona are created based on population, and there are 26 in Maricopa County. Each court has one justice of the peace and one constable. Justice courts handle misdemeanor crimes, protective orders, evictions, traffic infractions and smaller-dollar civil matters.
Justices of the peace serve four-year terms and receive an annual salary of about $100,000. Candidates do not need to be attorneys or have any specific education.
Who's running: All races except Moon Valley and North Mesa are uncontested in the general election.
Moon Valley justice of the peace: Mireya Arroyo, Democrat; Michael Irish, Republican
North Mesa justice of the peace: Kyle Jones, Republican; and Kiana Sears, Democrat
Constables
Constables act as representatives of justice courts. They are considered peace officers when performing their duties and are tasked with serving paperwork, such as warrants, writs and notices, including evictions, on behalf of their courts. Under Arizona law, elected constables can appoint deputies and other staff members with the consent of the county Board of Supervisors.
Who's running: There are no competitive constable races in the 2024 general election in Maricopa County.
Send election-related news and accountability tips to The Republic's justice reporters, Jimmy Jenkins, Elena Santa Cruz and Miguel Torres, at [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].
See all the races for Arizona
Voter guide: Election Day is Nov. 5. Here is a guide to help you learn about all the candidates and the voting and tabulating process.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Abortion in Arizona and election 2024: Will voters retain judges?
