Karen L. O'Connor
Karen O'Connor is a former judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court. She first joined the court in 2000 and retired in April 2020.[1][2][3]
Education
O'Connor earned her undergraduate degree from Illinois State University in 1979. She earned her J.D. from the John Marshall Law School in 1984.[3]
Career
- 2000-2020: Judge, Maricopa County Superior Court
- 1986-1999: Deputy county attorney, Maricopa County Attorney's Office
- 1984-1986: Attorney, Martinez & Curtis[3]
Awards and associations
- Member, Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence in the Courts
- Member, Domestic Violence Protocol Committee[3]
Elections
2018
Maricopa County Superior Court, Karen L. O'Connor's seat
Karen L. O'Connor was retained to the Maricopa County Superior Court on November 6, 2018 with 74.2% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
74.2
|
576,210 | ||
No |
25.8
|
199,876 | |||
Total Votes |
776,086 | ||||
|
|
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.[4]
- 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.[4]
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.[4]
2014
O'Connor was retained to the Maricopa County Superior Court with 72.2 percent of the vote on November 4, 2014. [5]
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.[6]
The commission voted that O'Connor met the JPR standards. The vote was 29-0 in favor of retention.[5]
2010
O'Connor was retained with 71.66% of the vote in 2010.[2]
- Main article: Arizona judicial elections, 2010
Read O'Connor's Judicial Performance Report here.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ '"Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, "Governor Ducey Appoints Marvin Davis, Suzanne Nicholls and Michael Rassas To The Maricopa County Superior Court," April 24, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Maricopa County Recorder, "Final Official Results," November 2, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Arizona Courts, "Karen O'Connor Biography," accessed September 29, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Arizona," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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
