Joan Sinclair
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2027
Joan Sinclair is a judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027.
Sinclair ran for re-election for judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. She won in the retention election on November 8, 2022.
Sinclair was appointed by Governor Jan Brewer in August 2012.[1]
Biography
Education
Sinclair received her undergraduate degree from Le Moyne College in 1983 and her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1986.[1]
Career
Before joining the court, Sinclair was a commissioner for the Maricopa County Superior Court from 2006 to 2012. She has worked in private practice, served as a Maricopa County attorney and worked with the Arizona Death Penalty Judicial Assistance Program. Sinclair's legal career began in Georgia, where she worked in a variety of public service positions.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Maricopa County, Arizona (2022)
Maricopa County Superior Court
Joan Sinclair was retained to the Maricopa County Superior Court on November 8, 2022 with 70.3% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
70.3
|
617,541 | ||
No |
29.7
|
260,628 | |||
Total Votes |
878,169 | ||||
|
|
2018
Maricopa County Superior Court, Joan Sinclair's seat
Joan Sinclair was retained to the Maricopa County Superior Court on November 6, 2018 with 76.0% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
76.0
|
586,983 | ||
No |
24.0
|
185,729 | |||
Total Votes |
772,712 | ||||
|
|
Selection method
The 174 judges of the Arizona Superior Court are selected in one of two ways:
- In counties with a population exceeding 250,000, judges are selected through the merit selection method. (Only Pima, Pinal, and Maricopa counties currently subscribe to this method, though the constitution provides for other counties to adopt merit selection through ballot initiative). After appointment, judges serve for two years and then must run in a yes-no retention election in the next general election. If retained, judges will go on to serve a four-year term.[2]
- In the state's other 13 counties, judges run in partisan primaries followed by nonpartisan general elections. Interim vacancies are filled through gubernatorial appointment, and newly appointed judges must run in the next general election.[2]
The chief judge of each superior court is chosen by the state supreme court. He or she serves in that capacity for the remainder of their four-year term.[2]
2014
Sinclair was retained to the Maricopa County Superior Court with 71.8 percent of the vote on November 4, 2014. [3]
Evaluation
The Judicial Performance Review Commission provides Arizona voters with an evaluation of each judge up for retention. The commission votes on whether a candidate meets or does not meet the JPR standards. Each judge is assessed on their legal ability, integrity, communication skills, judicial temperament and administrative performance.[4]
The commission voted that Sinclair met the JPR standards. The vote was 29-0 in favor of retention.[3]
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Joan Sinclair did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Office of the Arizona Governor, "Press Release: Governor Jan Brewer Announces Appointment to Maricopa County Superior Court," August 23, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Arizona," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Arizona Judicial Performance Review, "Judicial Report: 2014," accessed October 2, 2014
- ↑ Arizona Courts: Judicial Performance Review, "Judicial Performance Standards," accessed September 30, 2014
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Arizona • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Arizona
State courts:
Arizona Supreme Court • Arizona Court of Appeals • Arizona Superior Court • Arizona Justice Courts • Arizona Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arizona • Arizona judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arizona
