Judge Pro Tempore for the Apache County Superior Court Steven Williams has been appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division I. The appointment was made to fill the vacancy created by the unexpected death of Judge Jon W. Thompson.
A.R.S. § 12-120.02 requires eligible applicants for this vacancy to be residents of Apache, Coconino, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Yavapai or Yuma County.
Since 2016, Williams has presided over civil, family, probate, guardianship and mental health cases, as well as appeals from limited jurisdiction courts. Since 2018, Williams has also served as the Presiding Judge for the Eagar Magistrate Court, where he handles criminal, traffic and municipal code violations.
In 2017, Governor Ducey appointed Judge Williams to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.
In addition, Judge Williams has served on the Navajo County Board of Supervisors since 2015. He represents the citizens of District IV, which consists of the communities of Show Low, Linden, Pinedale, Clay Springs, Heber-Overgaard and a portion of Pinetop-Lakeside.
In 2018, he served as the Chairman of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors after having been elected to that position unanimously by his fellow Board members.
He began his legal career at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in 2005.