Arizona Judicial Performance Review Finds Judges Do Not Meet Standards

The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review met on June 24, 2016 to vote on whether judges meet judicial performance standards. Two judges, Pima County Superior Court Judge Carmine Cornelio and Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jo Lynn Gentry received the highest number of “Does Not Meet Standards” votes.

Judges go through the review process after serving four years on the bench. Voters will decide whether or not to retain each jurist this coming general election.

The Commission is charged with conducting performance reviews of judges. It sets performance standards for judges, decides whether or not a judge meets those standards, and publishes its findings for voters. The Commission’s job is to give voters some insight on those judges based on input from people who have dealt with them in court, on issues from legal knowledge to courtesy, according to KJZZ.

Cornelio received 27, and Gentry received 17 “Does Not Meet Standards” votes.

In 2010 and 2013 Cornelio was censured by the Arizona Supreme Court. According to Tucson News Now:

An attorney in a January 2012 settlement conference involving possible exposure to toxic mold complained to the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct that Cornelio made inappropriate comments that cause the 19-year-old plaintiff to cry.

The second complaint was filed over Cornelio’s conduct in a series of settlement conferences from May 2011 to March 2012 for a Cochise County case involving the sale of family property.

Cornelio allegedly used profanity, told a client her attorney was incompetent and threatened parties if they failed to reach an agreement.

Remarkably the remainder of the judges received no “Does Not Meet Standards” votes.