Description
GENERAL PURPOSE: Per City Charter, performs a variety of highly complex supervisory, professional, administrative, and technical work as the presiding judicial officer and department director of the city court. This is an appointed position under City Charter which serves a term (2 years) coterminous with that of the Mayor.
NOTE: The incumbent Judge is has indicated she will seek reappointment.
Salary set by Council, current annual compensation is $142,218.44.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.
- Presides over a variety of hearings including initial appearances, criminal misdemeanor and traffic arraignments, criminal jury and non-jury trials, protective order hearings, pretrial conferences, and motion hearings.
- Reviews motions; Issues orders to grant or deny motions.
- Conducts ex-parte interviews for protective orders and prepare appropriate orders.
- Reviews search warrants; sign or reject warrants; remains available for telephonic Search Warrants 24 hours a day.
- Reviews and sign summons, subpoenas, arrest warrants and other court orders.
- Reviews financial disclosure statements; determines indigency in accordance with Federal poverty guidelines.
- Performs legal research.
- Provides pro-active performance planning through outlined professional development plans.
- Determines conditions of release, advises defendants of charges, penalties and rights, in accordance with the Arizona Rules of Criminal procedure.
- Keeps a docket for recording all actions and proceedings of the court; sets and receives bonds, fines, penalties, fees and other assessments as provided by law and transmits same to the City Treasurer.
- Exercises original jurisdiction over all criminal proceedings for violations of any city ordinance and over civil actions for the enforcement of a penalty or forfeiture imposed by any city ordinance or for neglect to perform any duty by ordinance imposed and of every action for the collection of any fine or penalty due from any person to the city required to be paid or which is due and collectible under city ordinance.
- Prepares the city court’s annual budget and is responsible for the administration of the budget after adoption.
- Exercises concurrent jurisdiction with Precinct 2 Pinal County Justice of the Peace Court over all violations of laws of the state committed within the city limits.
- Performs other duties as assigned or required.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Direct supervisory responsibility over all city court staff.
Minimum Requirements
Education and Experience: Those as prescribed by the City Council.
Special Requirements: Ability to sit for long periods of time. Complete New Judge Orientation (NJO) within 1 year of appointment. Arizona Committee on Judicial Education and Training (COJET) accreditation is required.
Necessary Knowledge And Skills
- Knowledge of Arizona Code of Judicial Conduct, Arizona Rules of Court, state statues, city ordinances, and applicable case law, and court procedures and operations.
- Skill in using automated case management systems including data entry reflecting judicial actions, use electronic case files, use electronic calendaring, use electronic communications, such as e-mail and instant messaging.
- Skill presiding over courtroom hearings including jury trials, bench trials, pretrial conferences, sentencing hearings, violation of probation hearings, Orders to Show Cause, status review hearings, and orders of protection and injunction against harassment.
- Skill in conducting legal research.
- Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with coworkers and other professionals.
- Skill in applying justice in a fair and equitable manner.
- Skill in applying legal and common sense in the administration of justice.
Physical Demands / Work Environment: Standard office environment.
Supplemental Information
Applications will be screened by the Judicial Selection Committee and recommendations will be made by the committee to the Mayor and City Council. Salary will be set by Mayor and Council and will be dependent upon experience.
The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as needed.
This is a general summary of benefits afforded City of Casa Grande employees. The information contained herein is not exhaustive, is not a contract, and is subject to change at any time without notice. Specific current benefit information is available from the Human Resources department. Questions about this information should also be addressed to the Human Resources department. This information generally applies to regular full and part time employees.
HEALTH, DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE: The first of the month following 30 days of employment, employees are eligible for insurance coverage. The cost of employee health, vision and dental insurance is paid by the City. Employees may cover eligible dependents with the City paying one-half of the expense and the employee paying one-half.
LIFE INSURANCE: The city covers the cost of employee life insurance coverage. Employees earning more than $20,000 per year have a life insurance benefit of 50% of their annual salary .The basic employee life insurance benefit for employees earning less than $20,000 per year is $10,000.
SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE: The City allows several types of supplemental insurance offered by companies to employees through payroll deduction. The City does not endorse these products, which include supplemental life, accident, short-term disability, cancer, intensive care, legal services and identity theft.
WORKER'S COMPENSATION INSURANCE: All City employees are covered for on-the-job injuries through worker's compensation insurance. Premiums for this coverage is paid by the City and are based on payroll.
COMMUTING INSURANCE: Employees are automatically covered when traveling to and from work in the event of catastrophic injuries resulting from an accident.
RETIREMENT PLANS: City employees are assisted in planning for retirement in several ways. All employees, except firefighters, contribute a mandated percentage of their gross wages to the Social Security System and a Medicare tax, which is also matched by the City. In addition, all regular City employees are enrolled in a retirement plan, Public Safety Retirement for police officers and firefighters, and the Arizona State Retirement System for all others. The employee and City contribution rates are as follows:
Plan Employee Contribution City Contribution
State Retirement 12.22% 12.22%
Public Safety (Police) Depends on membership date into Retirement System
Public Safety (Fire) Depends on membership date into Retirement System
457 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN: The City also offers a voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan through ICMA Retirement Corporation. The City does not match employee contributions.
SHEAKLEY FLEXIBLE BENEFITS: Qualified expenses, such as dependent insurance premiums, dependent care and health care expenses can be deducted directly from your paycheck and claimed for reimbursement when used. These deductions are taken before taxes, reducing your taxable income.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides free, confidential counseling to employees and their immediate family members.
LONG-TERM DISABILITY PROGRAM: Employees enrolled in the Arizona State Retirement System pay premiums to be covered by the System's Long-Term Disability Program (LTD). Benefits are provided to qualified members who are unable to work due to a disability after six months.
HOLIDAYS: The City of Casa Grande observes ten holidays each year, including one floating holiday.
PAID TIME OFF: All regular, full-time and eligible part-time employees will accrue/earn Paid Time Off (PTO) beginning on the employee's first day of employment with the City. Employees are eligible to utilize accrued/earned PTO immediately. There is an annual graduated accrual schedule, capping at 12 years. Regular part-time employees who work less than full-time but more than 1040 hours per year shall accrue PTO at a rate of 3.077 hours per pay period worked.
FAMILY DEATH LEAVE: The City has a policy, which allows time away from work in the event of the death of a family member as defined by our Personnel Policy.
MILITARY LEAVE: The City grants military leave in accordance with the provisions of State law.
JURY LEAVE: Employees required to serve as a juror shall be entitled to leave according to the provisions of the Personnel Policy.
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA): Eligible employees are granted up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month period according to the law.
PAYROLL DIRECT DEPOSIT: Employees may have their paychecks deposited directly into checking or savings accounts at their bank through the direct payroll deposit plan offered by the City.
CREDIT UNIONS: City employees may participate in credit union membership through payroll deduction. Local credit unions have payroll deduction slots and employees may make savings or checking account deposits or have loan payments deducted through payroll deduction authorization.
SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM: Each month, employees may request and take two hours off with pay to volunteer their time in classrooms or at other qualified school programs. Employees do not need to have children in school to participate in this volunteer program. A School Involvement Program form must be filled out by the employee and signed by a teacher or administrator from the school in which the volunteer activity took place.
UNIFORMS/EQUIPMENT: Equipment and uniforms provided to employees varies by department.
