The Maricopa County Superior Court, or alternatively the Superior Court of Arizona, County of Maricopa, is a court of general jurisdiction serving over 4.4 million residents who live and work across the 9,224 square miles of Maricopa County, Arizona. Maricopa County is home to Arizona’s capital, Phoenix. The Superior Court of Maricopa is the 4th largest trial court in the country and can hear matters relating to criminal felonies, juveniles, families, probate and mental health, tax, and civil issues.
The Judicial Branch of Maricopa County, headed by a Presiding Judge, includes the Superior Court and the departments of Adult and Juvenile Probation. The Superior Court is divided into Civil, Criminal, Family, and Juvenile courts, with specialty courts, including the probate court, tax court, and homeless court.
The Court is “dedicated to providing a safe, fair, and impartial forum for resolving disputes, enhancing access to our services, and providing innovative, evidenced-based practices that improve the safety of our community and ensure the public’s trust and confidence in the Judicial Branch.”
To fulfill its promise of excellence, the Superior Court of Maricopa County operates sixteen courthouses or program locations and dozens of courtrooms across Phoenix and the surrounding cities.
There are 98 Superior Court judges in Maricopa County. The Governor appoints the Judges to the bench through a merit selection process. They remain in office by the approval of voters, who can cast a “yes” or “no” vote in retention elections.
The main courthouse for the Maricopa County Superior Court is located at the Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003. The Information Center can be reached by calling (602) 506-3204.
The County Clerk is Jeff Fine, located at 620 West Jackson St, Phoenix, AZ 85003. You can reach the Clerk’s office by calling (602) 372-5375.
The Presiding Judge is the Hon. Joseph C. Welty, located at 201 W. Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ 85003. You can reach the Presiding Judge’s office by calling (602) 506-3204.
Maricopa County Superior Court Departments
Civil Department
The Civil Department of the Maricopa County Superior Court deals with cases that involve legal conflicts among individuals, businesses, corporations, partnerships, and governmental entities. Such cases can be the result of personal injury, property damage, medical malpractice, or contract disputes. The department follows the process of compulsory arbitration where disputes are valued at under $50,000.
This Department is located at the East Court Building, 101 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, AZ 85003.
The Civil Presiding Judge is the Hon. Danielle Viola and the Civil Department Administrator is Luke Emerson. Their mailing address is Civil Court Administration, 201 W. Jefferson St., 4th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003. The Civil Court Administration Customer Service can be found in the East Court Building 3rd Floor Lobby. The Civil Department can be reached by calling (602) 506-1497.
Criminal Department
The Criminal Department is the largest department of the court. It has jurisdiction over all felony cases committed in Maricopa County, along with misdemeanors not otherwise provided for by law.
The Criminal Department of Maricopa County also includes some specialized courts, such as the Initial Appearance Court (IA), Early Disposition Court (EDC), Therapeutic Drug and Driving Under Influence (DUI) Courts, Veterans Court, and Comprehensive Mental Health Court.
This department operates out of the South Court Tower, located at 175 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003.
The Criminal Department Administrator is Nicole Garcia. You can contact the Office of the Criminal Department Administrator by calling (602) 506-8575,by faxing (602) 372-8536, or by emailing CRPublicquestion@superiorcourt.maricopa.gov.
The Presiding Judge is the Hon. Jennifer Green. You can reach the Presiding Judge’s Chambers by calling (602) 506-0438 or faxing (602) 372-8610.
Family Department
The Family Department of the Maricopa County Superior Court has jurisdiction over matters involving divorce and legal separation, guardianship of minor children, paternity, and support.
This department also assists in amicable dispute resolution solutions such as arbitration, mediation, conciliation, and finding domestic violence shelters. The department can assist families involved in any case with the Family Lawyers Assistance Project, Orders of Protection, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Child Support Payment Options.
The Family Department operates out of the following four locations: the Central Court Building in Phoenix; the Southeast Court Complex, 222 E. Javelina Avenue, Mesa, AZ 85210; the Northeast Regional Center, 18380 N. 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85032; and the Northwest Regional Center, 14264 W. Tierra Buena Lane, Surprise, AZ 85374.
The Presiding Judge of the Family Department is the Hon. Bruce R. Cohen. The Family Department Administrator is Adis Bosnic. The Family Department is located at 201 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix, AZ 85003. You can reach the Family Department by calling (602) 506-1561.
Juvenile Department
The mission of the Juvenile Department is “to fairly and impartially decide cases and administer justice through the comprehensive delivery of services to children and families, victims of crime and the community so that: children reach their full potential; victims of crime are restored; and families and the community function in the best interest of children.”
Services offered by this department include: overseeing cases involving adoptions, guardianship, delinquency, or emancipation; making decisions relating to the dependency of a child; and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
The Juvenile Department operates from the following locations: the Durango Detention Facility, 3131 W. Durango Street, Phoenix, AZ 85009; the Southeast Detention Facility, 1810 S. Lewis, Mesa, AZ 85210; and the Old Courthouse, 125 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85003.
The Juvenile Department Presiding Judge is the Hon. Judge Lori Bustamante. The Juvenile Court Administrator is Paula Collins. You can reach the Juvenile Department by calling (602) 506-4533. You can also email the Department with general inquiries at juveniledept@jbazmc.maricopa.gov and for record requests at Juvenilerecordsrequests@jbazmc.Maricopa.gov.
