The Arizona Superior Court in Pima County has appointed two new commissioners to fill two vacancies, the court said this week.
Superior Court Judges Randy Barnett and retired Deborah Platt were replaced by Michael Vampotic and Nathan Wade, according to an announcement Wednesday.
The President of the High Court is nominated by the Selection Committee prior to appointment by the President to handle specific assigned and uncontested cases. Vampotic and Wade were appointed by Pima County Chief Judge Jeffrey Bergin and Juvenile Court Chief Judge Michael Butler.
“I look forward to having Michael and Nathan join the bench soon. They will be a great addition to our court,” Bergin said in a Pima County Superior Court news release.
Both commissioners graduated from the James E. Rogers School of Law at the University of Arizona.
Vampotic is an attorney and unit leader in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, representing the Arizona Department of Child Safety in addiction hearings. He previously worked at the Pima County Child Protective Services and was often appointed as a family law “best interest attorney”, or guardian in juvenile delinquency cases, according to a news release.
Wade is the Deputy Attorney and Senior Attorney for Pinal County. He previously served as Pima County’s assistant public defender and created the office of legislative counsel for the agency.
He has lectured on criminal justice reform and the legislative process for various organizations including the Arizona Criminal Justice Bar Association, the League of Women Voters, and Greater Phoenix Leadership.
