Governor Doug Ducey announced the appointment of Pima County Superior Court Judge Christopher Staring to the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division II. This appointment was made to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Virginia Kelly.
Staring earned a reputation as a honest jurist after presiding over the lawsuit by Tucson activists for public documents from City of Tucson staff and Councilpersons.
Judge Staring graduated from the University of California Davis in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Service. He graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif from Tulane Law School in 1986.
Judge Staring has served on the Pima County Superior Court since 2010, where he has presided over civil, juvenile and probate cases. He is currently the Presiding Judge of the Pima County Superior Court probate bench. He is also a member of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review.
Prior to his trial court appointment, Judge Staring worked in the Phoenix and Tucson offices of Fennemore Craig for 24 years. At Fennemore Craig, he practiced in the areas of Employee Retirement Income Security Act and related insurance coverage litigation, insurance bad faith litigation, and commercial and personal injury litigation.
“Judge Staring has a record of integrity and achievement in the legal profession, and has established himself as a well-respected and thoughtful judge on the Pima County Superior Court,” Governor Ducey said. “I’m pleased to appoint Judge Staring to Division II of the Arizona Court of Appeals.”