One judge was busted for drunken driving. Another was caught viewing pornography on a court computer, and one continued to preside over domestic violence cases even though he was charged with domestic violence himself.

2009 could be a great year for fiscal conservatives in Arizona. Thanks to voters, it appears that the Arizona House and Senate in January will have fiscally conservative majorities for the first time in many years.

October 4, 2004

It’s official. Apache Junction is set for a City Council recall vote and a primary election in March. In a last-ditch effort, four council members and the mayor, all of whom are facing recalls, turned to the court, seeking judicial review of the Pinal County Recorder’s certification of petitions.

In 1988, seeing court caseloads burgeoning with the population, Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank Gordon decided that a coordinated, long-range plan was needed to carry Arizona’s judicial system into the new millennium. He appointed the Commission on the Courts, a 34-member “blue-ribbon” group from across the state to develop that plan, and to make specific recommendations for the judiciary to handle the growth and technological change coming at it, while constantly improving quality. Eddie Basha served as Chair; Charles Ares (U of A College of Law) and the late Jack Whiteman (CEO of Empire Southwest) were Vice Chairs.

Gilbert Presiding Judge David Phares and the court administration are being investigated by the town following a court employee complaint alleging violations of town and court policy.

November 2, 2004

A Gilbert investigation has cleared Gilbert Municipal Court Presiding Judge David Phares and his administration of violating town policy in the treatment of a court employee.

We wouldn’t blame anyone who reads with skepticism a new report from the American Bar Association that criticizes Arizona’s handling of the ultimate criminal punishment — the death penalty.

There may be all sorts of reason not to elect an attorney to public office.

October 12, 2004

This is no time for Scottsdale to appear to be overregulating desert lands in its northern reaches, much less actually overregulating them.

January 5, 2005

May 24, 2005

December 10, 2004

Among the foundations of our form of government is that it requires the consent of the governed. That consent must be informed or it is as useless and potentially harmful as a blank check.

Saying a panel of lawmakers acted illegally, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled late Friday that the description they wrote of a proposal to permanently hike the state sales tax by a penny is biased.

October 26, 2004

Mesa officials are considering whether to sell 12,000 acres the city owns outside Coolidge or to develop the land into a "water ranch" at a cost of about $90 million.

Roman Catholics have an open invitation to spend an evening at any of the Valley’s 14 mosques when Muslims’ holy month of Ramadan begins Saturday, and it could serve to mend fences in the aftermath of comments by Pope Benedict XVI.

Roman Catholics have an open invitation to spend an evening at any of the Valley’s 14 mosques when Muslims’ holy month of Ramadan begins Saturday, and it could serve to mend fences in the aftermath of comments by Pope Benedict XVI.

The Arizona Legislature could take up reforms intended to address "excesses" in the public employees' pension system early next year, partly because of a lawsuit over payments made to Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris, according to state Senator-elect John McComish, an Ahwatukee Foothills Republican.

The Arizona Legislature could take up reforms intended to address "excesses" in the public employees' pension system early next year, partly because of a lawsuit over payments made to Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris, according to state Senator-elect John McComish, an Ahwatukee Foothills Republican.

PHOENIX -- Arizonans are legally entitled to know what their public officials have been doing, even if it's only going with the security detail to the cleaners, the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.