PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey appointed three new judges for Maricopa County Superior Court, after two judges are retiring and a third has moved over to federal court.
Melissa Iyer Julian, Tracey Westerhausen, and Joseph Kiefer have been appointed to fill the vacancies, said a release from the governor’s office.
They are replacing Judges Hugh E. Hegyi and David M. Talamante, both of whom are retiring, and the Judge Susan Brnovich, who has been appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Iyer Julian has been working as a partner at Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A, where she primarily practices in the area of commercial litigation. She has been serving as a Judge Pro Tempore in Maricopa County Superior Court since 2015.
Ayer Julian, a first generation American, graduated from Southwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She received her law degree cum laude from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Westerhausen has been practicing criminal and juvenile law at Debus, Kazan & Westerhausen. Prior to entering private practice, she clerked for Judge Sarah D. Grant of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One.
Westerhausen graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She earned her law degree from the Arizona State University College of Law.
Kiefer, a deputy Maricopa County Attorney, also serves as a military trial and appellate judge. Prior to working for Maricopa County, Joe was a partner at Snell & Wilmer and an attorney with Steptoe & Johnson. Kiefer served on active duty in the Air Force for 14 years, followed by his current service as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
Kiefer graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degrees in economics and political Science. He earned an MBA from Chaminade University and a law degree from William & Mary Law School.