Presiding City Magistrate Judge Matias Tafoya retiring June 30
June 29, 2020 at 4:34 pm
After 17 years on the bench as the Presiding City Magistrate, Judge Matias (Matt) Tafoya will be retiring from the City of Mesa Municipal Court on June 30.A graduate of Arizona State University’s College of Law, Tafoya came to Mesa in 2003 after 19 years as a judge with Phoenix Municipal Court. He also spent time as a Deputy County Attorney for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Assistant City Prosecutor for the Phoenix City Prosecutor's Office as well as in private practice.
After 17 years on the bench as the Presiding City Magistrate, Judge Matias (Matt) Tafoya will be retiring from the City of Mesa Municipal Court on June 30.A graduate of Arizona State University’s College of Law, Tafoya came to Mesa in 2003 after 19 years as a judge with Phoenix Municipal Court. He also spent time as a Deputy County Attorney for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Assistant City Prosecutor for the Phoenix City Prosecutor's Office as well as in private practice.
"Judge Tafoya's leadership brought innovative programs like Veteran's Court and Community Court to the City of Mesa," Mayor John Giles said.
"These programs combine compassion with justice and give clients the opportunity to change their lives with the assistance of support services rather than incarceration. I appreciate his commitment to creating lasting change in our community and wish him the best on his retirement."
"I am truly thankful for a dream come true to serve as Presiding Judge for our Municipal Court," Judge Tafoya said.
"I want to commend the Mayor and City Council for supporting not only the neutrality of the court in serving the Prosecution and Defense in adversarial proceedings but in supporting the specialty courts whose focus is the humane treatment of Veterans, the mentally ill, and the social issues that plague the homeless all weighing the cost-benefit analysis in what is best for our community."
During his more than 35 years on the bench Judge Tafoya has been a member of many professional organizations and has served on several Supreme Court committees to improve the administration of justice.
He has been a member of the Arizona State Bar since 1975, the Los Abogados Hispanic Lawyers Association since 1976 and a member of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association since 2001. He is also a founding member of the Minority Judges Caucus.
The Mesa City Council will appoint a new City Magistrate at a future City Council meeting
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BLOGGER NOTES >RELATED CONTENT
| File #: | 20-0616 |
| Type: | Ordinance | Status: | Agenda Ready |
| In control: | City Council |
| On agenda: | 6/1/2020 |
| Title: | Repealing and replacing Title 1, Chapter 7 of the Mesa City Code pertaining to City Magistrates to formalize the term of office for the Presiding City Magistrate and clarify the term of office for City Magistrates, and amending Title 2, Chapter 3 of the Mesa City Code pertaining to the Judicial Advisory Board to
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| Attachments: | 1. Council Memo, 2. Ordinance |
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COUNCIL REPORT
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Sarah Staudinger, Assistant City Attorney
Through: Jim Smith, City Attorney
Date:
June 1, 2020
Subject: Ordinance formalizing the position and process of appointing the Presiding City Magistrate
The City Code does not currently define or refer to the position of Presiding City Magistrate and does not formalize the procedures to appoint and reappoint the Presiding City Magistrate. The proposed ordinance formalizes this position and the processes for appointment and reappointment and provides further clarifications to these sections of the City Code.
These changes are made in two areas of the City Code related to City Magistrates
These changes are made in two areas of the City Code related to City Magistrates
- (Title 1, Chapter 7) and
- The Judicial Advisory Board (Title 2, Chapter 3).
The new Title 1, Chapter 7, “City Magistrates and the Presiding City Magistrate,” will formalize Council’s duty to appoint a Presiding City Magistrate and the term of office of the Presiding City Magistrate and will further clarify the term of office served by City Magistrates.
The term of office for the Presiding City Magistrate will be the same as the term of office for other City Magistrates.
The terms of office will remain two-year terms for the first two terms served, followed by four-year terms for any subsequent terms served.
The amended Title 2, Chapter 3, “Judicial Advisory Board,” will formalize the process of appointing and reappointing a Presiding City Magistrate and will provide increased flexibility for Council during that process.
Council will have the opportunity to appoint and reappoint the Presiding City Magistrate either through Council’s own process or may elect to have the Judicial Advisory Board review and recommend a person for the position of Presiding City Magistrate.
The amended Code will also clarify that the Presiding City Magistrate, with approval of the City Manager, may appoint Magistrates Pro Tem on an as-needed basis.
The appointment and reappointment process for City Magistrates will be unchanged other than minor clarifications.
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NEW APPOINTMENTS TO THE CITY'S JUDICIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Judicial Advisory Board – Seven-member board including new appointments
New Appointments: Carolyn Finley, District 2.
Ms. Finley is a Clinical Case Manager at Mercy Health Plan and a registered nurse with nearly 15 years of experience in direct patient care and management.
She is a volunteer with the March of Dimes and was the Clinical Coordinator for the Phoenix March for Babies for several years.
She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Innovation from Arizona State University.
Her term expires June 30, 2023.
New Appointments: Kent Cattani.
Judge Cattani was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 2013.
Prior to his appointment, he represented the State of Arizona for more than 20 years.
He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley.
He is currently Vice-Chair of the Division One Arizona Court of Appeals and Vice-Chair of Arizona’s Forensic Advisory Committee.
His term expires June 30, 2023.
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