Gov. Hobbs appoints 7 judges to Maricopa County Superior Court

PHOENIX – Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs named seven judges to Maricopa County Superior Court to fill vacancies created by retirements, a promotion and voter rejection.

The appointments of Michelle Carson, Marischa H. Gilla, Melody G. Harmon, Amy M. Kalman, Steven W. McCarthy, Colleen O’Donnell-Smith and Melissa M. Zabor were announced Friday.

“On top of their impressive legal experience and qualifications, each of these appointees has demonstrated a deep commitment to public service and to the rule of law,” Hobbs said in a press release.

“I am confident they will be excellent additions to the bench and will serve the state well,” she said.

Nearly all the judges serve as commissioners of the Maricopa County Superior Court.

Carson has served as a commissioner of Maricopa County Superior Court since 2018. She also worked as senior attorney for the Maricopa County Public Defender and was in private practice.

Gilla has served as a commissioner of Maricopa County Superior since 2020. She also worked in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office from 2006 to 2019, including as deputy in the Capital Litigation Bureau.

Harmon has served as a commissioner of Maricopa County Superior Court  since 2018. She also worked as a Maricopa County public defender and has experience in probate and juvenile departments.

Kalman has been a commissioner for the Maricopa County Superior Court since 2018 and oversees treatment courts, including mental health probation. Previously, she served in the county’s public defender office.

McCarthy has served as a Maricopa County Superior Court commissioner since 2019. He has experience overseeing DUI probation court and previously worked in the county public defender’s office for over 10 years.

O’Donnell-Smith has served in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office since 1999, where she had stints as unit chief counsel for the Protective Services Section.

Zabor has served as a commissioner of the Maricopa County Superior Court since 2017 and is assigned to the criminal division.

The appointees replace Judges Laura M. Reckart, Kathleen Mead and Janice Crawford, who retired; Daniel J. Kiley, who was named to Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals; and Rusty D. Crandell, Stephen M. Hopkins and Howard D. Sukenic, who were not retained by Maricopa County voters in the 2022 midterm election.

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