Former Pima County Supervisor and current Justice of the Peace Ray Carroll has been publicly reprimanded by Arizona’s Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC) for verbally abusing court staff over several months.
Carroll has served on the bench of the Green Valley Justice Court – Precinct 7 since his controversial appointment in 2017 just months after he retired from the board of supervisors. He came under investigation by the CJC in early 2021 when a now-former court employee complained of witnessing Carroll engaging in “bullying, screaming and general misconduct.”
Carroll’s five-page written response to the CJC stated the multiple events claimed in the complaint “never happened” and that it was he who was subjected to “offensive” and “disrespectful” treatment by various court employees. He also cited an incident in which an employee addressed the judge “in a scolding manner” during a disagreement.
The CJC members, however, did not agree with Carroll’s characterization.
On Nov. 12, 2021, the commission issued an order of public reprimand which noted Carroll “had several demeanor issues” from April 2020 to January 2021 which violated the Code of Judicial Conduct which requires judges to “be patient, dignified, and courteous to litigants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers, court staff, court officials, and others with whom the judge deals in an official capacity…”
The reprimand order also mandates Carroll complete a training course “that specifically addresses leadership and/or management skill, as well as interpersonal skills with subordinates.” The training course must be approved by the CJC’s executive director, must be conducted in-person (not virtually), and be completed by May 12 of this year.
The 194-page complaint file obtained by Arizona Daily Independent includes reference to Carroll’s effort to delay publication of the CJC’s November reprimand until after Feb. 4. The request was denied, but had the effect of delaying public notice of the order until Jan. 26 when the commissioners next met.
According to the employee’s complaint to the CJC, employees of the Green Valley Justice Court were directed to address any concerns about Carroll’s conduct to their supervisor, to the court administrator, or to the judge himself. But the complaint alleged Carroll had previously “threatened, reprimanded or otherwise intimidated” the supervisor and court administrator.
At least one of the incidents reportedly left a court employee in tears after leaving the judge’s office, while another court employee began sobbing after a closed door meeting with Carroll, according to the complaint. Another time Carroll was alleged to have mistreated were a court security officer.
“I have witnessed various acts of aggression by the judge and feel I or, at least, my job would be in jeopardy,” the employee noted, who added that in May 2021 the court administrator stated, “the judge’s behavior was clearly unacceptable, but that there was nothing she could do.”
In July 2021, CJC Staff Attorney April Elliott formally notified Carroll of the specific allegations being reviewed. Elliott requested the judge’s response, but also noted that several employees expressed concern to the Commission’s investigator “that they feared retaliation by you related to these complaints.”
Elliott reminded the judge that the Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits any judge from retaliating against an employee who has cooperated in a CJC investigation.
Carroll responded in August 2021, calling the court employee who initiated the CJC complaint a “very provocative and disgruntled” former employee. He contended the complainant “continually tried to startle” the judge in his chambers while he and his wife were the victims of an active stalker.
The judge’s response also noted another employee accidentally sent a text message to Carroll in 2018. The subject of the message was “an especially offensive attack on my legitimacy as a judge and contempt for me as a person,” according to Carroll, who disciplined the employee for insubordination.
Carroll admitted in his response that he raised his voice and used vulgarities on an occasion in May 2021 to stop a defendant who was approaching the judge and another court employee during an outdoor security inspection. The man initially refused Carroll’s demand to stay away, prompting Carroll to yell obscenities which caused the man to leave the area.
But Carroll argued to the CJC that the complaint filed against him was in part “a retaliation of what had occurred during the early months” of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Most of these accusations were at a time when emotions were high due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he wrote. “I take exception to any witness who stated that I screamed or yelled at county clerks, employees, or contractors.”
Carroll, who described himself as “a sedate family man,” added that during his staff interactions he was “masked up and obeying all protocols of the COVID-19 pandemic, which casts doubt on their perceptions. I would also like to point out that ‘tone of voice’ is subjective.”
The response to the CJC also included copies of 17 police reports (accounting for 174 of the 194 pages in the public complaint file) which he said were connected to a stalking issue with a former defendant named Michael Scaramella.
It appears Scaramella is the reason Carroll sought to delay publication of the public reprimand until after Feb. 4, as that was the day the judge testified as the victim in a bench trial against Scaramella. Another judge heard the case and sentenced Scaramella to 30 days of home detention for two misdemeanors – interfering with a judicial proceeding and failure to comply with an injunction against harassment.
Another 150 days of home-detention was suspended on the condition Scaramella comply with various court orders.
Scaramella’s sentence does not take effect until next month. He can request approval to leave his residence for medical appointments and work. Failure to comply with the terms of his home detention order could result in Scaramella serving the remaining sentence in the Pima County jail.
RELATED ARTICLE: Former Pima County Supervisor Carroll Chosen For Green Valley Justice Of The Peace Post