Z - Court Commissioner

Minimum qualifications are defined by Arizona State Statute. Commissioners of the Superior Court may serve as Judge Pro Tempore during their regular duties. The minimum qualifications defined by Arizona State Statute are that a candidate for the position must:

• 
  Possess United States Citizenship
• Be a resident of Maricopa County at the time of appointment
• Be of good moral character
• Be a duly licensed member of the State Bar of Arizona
• Be a resident of the State of Arizona for not less than five years immediately preceding appointment
• Not have any disciplinary matters pending before the State Bar Disciplinary Board
• Commissioners serve from time to time as judges pro tempore in the course of their regular duties. The Arizona Constitution, Article VI, §22 requires that judicial nominees must be at least 30 years of age.

• Achievement or distinction in various areas of the law and litigation consistent with the duties of the Commissioner position

• Legal principles and precedents and their application
• The statutory and constitutional law of the State of Arizona
• Family, Civil, Criminal, and Constitutional Administrative Law

• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships
• Using logic and reasoning to evaluate and choose between conflicting alternatives based on partial or incomplete information

• Present statements of fact and law through clear communication and logic in written and oral form
• Define issues, perform legal research, analyze problems, evaluate and make appropriate findings and recommendations

(This is not an all-inclusive list of all job duties that may be required; employees will be required to perform other related duties as assigned.)

• 
  Hear a variety of cases in Criminal, Civil, Family, Probate, and Juvenile Court departments
• During the course of hearing cases interpret, enforce and carry out current laws
• May be assigned to the Initial Appearance Court, which will include evenings and weekends. May also be assigned to a location such as the Maryvale Mental Health building or Desert Vista Hospital. Assignments may last more than one year
• Exercise the same powers and duties as a Judge of the Superior Court in assigned cases, with the same jurisdiction
• Providing regular onsite or in-person supervision to assess business needs by observation, by monitoring group dynamics with face-to-face interaction, and through the use of body language/nonverbal communication, engaging in interpersonal bonding, and modeling expected behaviors.

• Criminal: conduct arraignments, handle a pretrial calendar, preside over trials
• Juvenile delinquency: conduct detention hearings, pre-trials, adjudication hearings, disposition hearings, and probation violation hearings
• Juvenile dependency: conduct adjudication hearings, permanency planning, guardianship and adoption hearings
• Family law: conduct child support calendars, including Order to Show Cause and contempt.

Commissioners serve from time to time as judges pro tempore in the course of their regular duties. The Arizona Constitution, Article VI, 22, requires that judicial nominees must be at least 30 years of age, of good moral character, and admitted to the practice of law in and a resident of the state for five years immediately preceding appointment.

Maricopa County offers a Total Compensation Package that includes competitive salaries and a comprehensive, affordable benefits package. High value is placed on employee well-being and meeting the needs of our employees and their families. Our benefits package is comprised of traditional benefits like medical, prescription, dental, vision, and other health benefits. Employees are supported by various wellness programs including classes, coaching, and fitness center opportunities. Our generous benefit options are some of the best in Arizona and just one of the unique advantages of working for Maricopa County. Below is a representative listing of typical benefits received by most full-time employees.

Holidays and Leave
Maricopa County observes ten paid holidays per year. Most County employees accrue vacation (starting at three weeks per year for full-time employees) and sick leave (starting at one hour for every 30 hours worked for all employees). Employees also receive paid leave for other needs such as jury duty, civic duty, and bereavement.

Medical, Prescription, Behavioral Health, Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending Accounts
We understand how important health care is to maintaining a good quality of life. We also know our employees want to have the freedom to choose benefit plans to best meet their needs. Eligible employees may choose from four medical plan options, an HMO, PPO, and two HDHP (High Deductible Health Plans) with a health savings account. When employees enroll in medical coverage, they are automatically enrolled in prescription and behavioral health coverage as well. There are three dental plans from which to choose, two PPO plans and a pre-paid dental plan that functions like an HMO. As is the case with medical, the plans range in cost, flexibility, and network of providers. The vision plan provides employees and their covered dependents access to routine vision services and materials, including an annual eye exam. For those who wish to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible healthcare and dependent care expenses, the flexible spending accounts are suitable for that need.

Life and Disability Insurance
Because life sometimes takes unexpected turns, the County offers life insurance coverage to help employees and their loved ones in the event of death. Basic life and basic accidental death & dismemberment insurance equivalent to one times an employee's annual base salary is provided at no cost, with the option for employees to purchase additional coverage including spouse and child life insurance. Disability insurance is available to replace a portion of an employee's salary should they experience a short-term illness or injury.

Retirement
Eligible employees are covered by one of several State-sponsored retirement pension plans, including the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS). Additionally, there's the option to contribute to a 457(b) Savings Plan that provides employees with a variety of investment opportunities. For those employees who retire from the County and from their retirement system, and have accrued 1,000 or more hours of sick leave, the County makes a $10,000 contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan set up on their behalf to be used for payment of eligible out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

Group Legal Plan
Maricopa County offers employees group discounts to purchase coverage for legal services such as adoptions, family matters, wills and trusts.

Wellness
Maricopa County's Wellness Works program promotes health and wellness for employees and their families by focusing on physical activity, good nutrition, self-care and stress management. Maricopa County offers eligible employees a wellness incentive for completing required activities. By meeting a set of criteria, employees and their families can get reimbursed for participating in a Weight Watchers Program. On-site fitness facilities and fitness classes are provided to employees at various locations around the County. Employees and their families also have the opportunity to receive a discounted fitness club membership at LA Fitness. Employees have access to smoking cessation programs and health-related classes on various topics including nutrition, exercise and stress management. Employees located downtown benefit from an onsite pharmacy and clinic. Every fall, flu vaccines are offered to employees at various County locations.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
When employees and their families are faced with personal issues, confidential, short-term counseling and referral services are available to them at no cost.

Employee Discounts
Maricopa County subscribes to a service association which provides employees with volume discounts for sporting events, entertainment, and many other services.

Commute Options Program (COP)
Maricopa County provides free Valley Metro passes for the bus and light rail systems for commuting to/from work; a vanpool subsidy is also provided. Employees can decrease stress, decrease wear and tear on their vehicle and help the environment all at the same time.

New Employee Orientation (NEO)
NEO provides new employees with information about Maricopa County such as: history, organizational structure, Merit Rules, County policies and procedures, County pay system and benefits and employee programs.

Rewarding Ideas/Employee Suggestions
Employees are provided with incentives to generate ideas for improvements that result in cost reduction through increased efficiency and productivity, improved processes and procedures and elimination of duplication and waste. Our employees' ideas could put money in their pocket!!

Tuition Reimbursement
To promote Maricopa County's long term employee retention objectives, our employees are eligible to receive financial assistance to continue their education, help make them more productive, enhance their job performance, and equip them to pursue new opportunities within County government.

To learn more about the County's generous benefits, visit the Maricopa County Employee Benefits and Wellness website.