I. NAME

(1.1)The name of this association shall be the ARIZONA JUDGES ASSOCATION (hereafter “the Association”).

 

II. PURPOSE

(2.1)The purpose of the Association is to consider and deal with, by all lawful means consistent with the code of judicial conduct, common issues involving members of the judiciary of the State of Arizona, so as to advance the common welfare of the members of the Association and thus enable the judiciary to more effectively perform its duties along with the other branches of state government.

 

III. PRINCIPAL OFFICE

(3.1)The principal office of the Association shall be located within the State of Arizona at the official address of the then-president of the Association. The Association may have such other offices as may from time be designated by its Executive Committee.

 

IV. MEMBERSHIP

(4.1)Membership Eligibility. Judicial officers of the State of Arizona are eligible to be active members of the Association. “Judicial Officers” for the purposes of these bylaws are:

  • any justice of the Arizona Supreme Court or judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals;
  • any judge or full-time judge pro tempore of the Superior Court of the State of Arizona (“judge”); and
  • any full-time court commissioner and any full-time master or referee (who is a member of the State Bar of Arizona) of the Superior Court of the State of Arizona (“commissioner”).

In addition, any such retired Judicial Officer (that is, any former Judicial Officer who has sufficient past service to receive retirement benefits) is eligible to become a member of the Association.

(4.2)Active Membership. Eligible members of the Association whose annual dues in the Association are fully paid are “active members.” Any member may withdraw from membership by giving written notice of such intention to the Executive Committee or to any officer. All rights, privileges, and interests of an active member in or to the Association shall cease on withdrawal or termination of membership, loss of eligibility as a Judicial Officer, or non-payment of annual dues.

(4.3)Voting. Each active member of the Association shall be entitled to one vote in the affairs of the Association at any general or special meeting.

(4.4)Honorary Membership. Any justice of the United State Supreme Court who is from the State of Arizona, all judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit who are from the State of Arizona and all judges and magistrate judges of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, shall be honorary members of the Association, whether active or retired. Any other person, by majority vote of the active members of the Association, may be awarded an honorary membership in the Association under such terms and with such non-voting privileges as the Executive Committee determines.

 

 

V. ANNUAL DUES

(5.1)The annual dues are payable on or before July 1 of each year in an amount set by the Executive Committee.

 

VI. ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETINGS

(6.1)Annual Meeting. The active members of the Association shall meet at least once annually for election of Officers and Representatives, receiving reports, and the transaction of other business. Unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Committee, the annual meeting shall be during the annual judicial conference at a time and place determined by the Executive Committee. The annual meeting shall be open to active and honorary members. The secretary shall give notice of the annual meeting by any one or combination of the following methods, as may be directed by the Executive Committee, designed to give actual notice to each member at least fifteen days before the time appointed for the meeting: mailing or e-mailing a copy of the notice to the last recorded or published address of members on file or in a court directory; providing sufficient copies of the notice to a presiding judge for distribution to the bench of that court; causing an announcement of the meeting to be published in a schedule or program of the annual judicial conference.

(6.2)Special Meeting. Special meetings of the Association may be called at any time by the president, and must be called at any time by the president (or in his or her absence by the vice president or secretary) on the written request of either a majority of the Executive Committee or of not less than twenty members of the Association. Except as provided for below, five days’ notice of the date, time, place and purpose of any special meeting must be given to the members of the Association in the same manner as for an annual meeting.

When, in the judgment of the Executive Committee, a special meeting to address a matter as allowed above is necessary but impossible or impractical, a question may be submitted by the Executive Committee to the active members for vote and decision by electronic or by-mail voting. The question thus presented shall be determined according to a majority of the eligible votes received within ten days after such submission to the active membership, provided that, in each case, votes of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the active members has been be received. Action taken in this manner shall be as effective as action taken at a duly called meeting.

(6.3)Quorum. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the active members of the Association, when present at an annual or special meeting (other than a special meeting by electronic or by-mail voting), shall constitute a quorum. In case there is less than this number present, the presiding officer may adjourn from time to time until a quorum is present.

(6.4)Order of Business. The order of business at any annual meeting, unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Committee, shall be as follows:

(1) Call to Order;

(2) Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting;

(3) Treasurer’s Report (and vote on acceptance of report)

(4) Legislative Liaison’s Report;

(5) Reports of Executive Committee and Special Committee, if any;

(6) Old business;

(7) New business;

(8) Election of Officers and Representatives for the coming year; and

(9) Adjournment.

The order of business may be altered or suspended at any meeting by a majority vote of the active members present.

 

VII. OFFICERS

(7.1)Officers. The Officers of the Association shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. Other offices may be established and other officers elected by the active members of the Association at the annual meeting.

(7.2)Terms. Each Officer shall take office immediately upon election and shall hold office for a term of one (1) year and until his or her successor is duly elected. Any Officer may be re-elected to the same office. A vacancy in any office first occurring between annual meetings shall be filled for the balance of the term by the Executive Committee.

(7.3)President. The president shall be the chief executive officer of the organization, shall be present at meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, and shall be an ex officio member of each committee. The president shall communicate to the Association such matters and make such suggestions as may tend to promote the welfare and increase the usefulness of the Association, and shall perform such other duties as are necessary and customarily incident to the office of president.

(7.4)Vice President. The vice president shall perform all duties of the president during the absence of the president, together with such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the president or the Executive Committee and shall be an ex officio member of each committee.

(7.5)Secretary. In addition to such other duties as may be defined by the Executive Committee, the secretary shall:

  • Give notice of and attend all meetings of the Association and all committees and make provision for the keeping of a record of proceedings;
  • Conduct correspondence and carry into execution all orders, votes and resolutions not otherwise committed;
  • Serve as temporary, assistant treasurer for the purpose of collecting dues and issuing receipts therefore;
  • Perform other duties of the treasurer as delegated by the treasurer with the approval of the Executive Committee.

(7.6)Treasurer. In addition to such other duties as may be defined by the Executive Committee, the treasurer shall:

  • Maintain a list of the members of the Association;
  • Establish means and methods for the collection of dues and their payment to the treasurer;
  • Maintain a bank account or accounts in FDIC insured institutions approved by the Executive Committee for all monies received and expended for the use of the Association;
  • Make disbursements authorized by the Executive Committee or the president, or such other persons as the active members may prescribe;
  • Oversee bank deposits of all sums received;
  • Make a written report to the Executive Committee on a regular basis; and
  • Withdraw funds when authorized to do so from the account or accounts of the Association and only on the signature of the treasurer and counter-signature of one other Officer of the Association.

(7.7)Election of Officers. The election of Officers shall take place annually at the time and place of the annual meeting. Prior to each annual meeting, the Executive Committee shall meet and nominate candidates for the offices of the Association for the succeeding year, with such nominations to be presented at the time of the annual meeting. Any active member shall be eligible for office. It shall be the goal of the Executive Committee to nominate a slate of officer candidates reflecting the geographical diversity of the State. Additional nominations for each office may be made from the floor by any active member. The candidate who receives a majority of votes cast for an office shall be elected.

(8)VIII. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

(8.1)Executive Committee and Duties. The supervision, control, and direction of the affairs of the Association shall be conducted by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall execute the policies and decisions of the members, carry out the Association’s objectives, and have discretion in the disbursement of the Association’s funds in accord with same. It may employ non-members to perform administrative tasks, whether paid or volunteer, provided that the Officers of the Association retain the authority and responsibility to fulfill their designated tasks. It may adopt rules for the conduct of its business as may be deemed advisable, and may, in the execution of its granted powers, create and appoint subcommittees or appoint agents to carry out specific tasks.

(8.2)Members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers and Representatives of the Association and ex officio members. Each Officer and Representative member of the Executive Committee shall have an equal vote on the Executive Committee. An ex officio member of the Executive Committee may participate in meetings and debate, but shall have no vote, unless otherwise also serving as an Officer or Representative.

The ex officio and Representative members of the Executive Committee are as follows:

Ex officio members:

The last two past presidents of the Association;

The Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court or the Chief Justice’s designee from that court;

The Presiding Judge of each of the fifteen Superior Court divisions.

Representatives: Unless increased or allocated as provided for elsewhere in these bylaws, the Representatives of the Association shall be as follows:

Two Representatives of the Maricopa County Superior Court judges and one Representative of the Maricopa County Superior Court commissioners;

One Representative of the Pima County Superior Court judges and one Representative of the Pima County Superior Court commissioners;

One Representative of the Pinal County Superior Court judges and one Representative of the Pinal County Superior Court commissioners;

Two Representatives (judge or commissioner) of the Superior Court Judicial Officers of Superior Court divisions other than those of Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal Counties;

One Representative of the judges of the Court of Appeals; and

One Representative of the retired Judicial Officers.

(8.3)Election of Representatives. Each Representative shall be an active member and a member of the represented group and shall be elected by the vote of the active members of that group at the annual meeting. Each Representative shall serve for a period of one (1) year until the next annual election and until his or her successor is duly elected. Any Representative may be re-elected to the position. Where a Superior Court division Representative position may be filled by either a judge or commissioner, said Representative shall be voted on by all the Judicial Officers from that division.

(8.4)Superior Court Representatives. Except as otherwise provided for above, the judges of each of the fifteen Superior Court divisions shall be entitled to representation on the Executive Committee by one Representative judge upon reaching a total of fifteen or more judges in that Superior Court division. Those judges shall be entitled to one additional Representative judge upon reaching seventy-five judges, and one additional Representative judge for each seventy-five judges thereafter. The commissioners of each of the fifteen Superior Court divisions shall be entitled to representation on the Executive Committee by one Representative commissioner upon reaching a total of ten or more commissioners in that division. Those commissioners shall be entitled to one additional Representative commissioner upon reaching seventy-five commissioners, and one additional Representative commissioner for each seventy-five commissioners thereafter. Each such additional Representative shall be elected in like manner to the other Representatives.

(8.5)Vacancy. In the event of a vacancy in the position of Representative first occurring between annual meetings, the Executive Committee shall select an active member Judicial Officer of the represented group to serve until the next annual meeting. If no active member of the represented group in a Superior Court division is willing to fill the vacancy, the vacancy may be filled by any active member Judicial Officer from that Superior Court division. (In such a case, a Representative may represent more than one group and exercise each group’s Representative’s attendant voting rights.) If there are no active members in a represented group, the vacancy shall remain unfilled until such time as there is.

(8.6)Meetings. The Executive Committee shall have a regular meeting at the time and place of the Association’s annual meeting. It shall otherwise meet on the call of the president or secretary and on demand of a majority of the active members. The Executive Committee shall report to the membership regularly and at each annual meeting on its actions and on those of its committees and subcommittees.

(8.7)Quorum. A number of members of the Executive Committee eligible to vote (Officers, Representatives, and active member ex officio members) equal to fifty percent (50%) of the combined number of the Officers and Representatives of the Association, when present at any meeting of the Executive Committee, shall constitute a quorum to conduct its business. In case there is less than this number present, the presiding officer may adjourn from time to time until a quorum is present.

 

IX. AMENDMENTS

(9.1)These bylaws may be amended, repealed, or altered in whole or in part, by a majority vote of active members at the annual meeting or any special meeting called for that purpose.

 

X. FUNDS

(9.2)The Association is not intended as a profit-making organization, nor is it founded with the expectation of making a profit. The Association shall use its funds only for objects and purposes specified in these bylaws.

 

XI. DISSOLUTION

(9.3)The Association may be dissolved by a vote of two-thirds of its active members. In the event of such dissolution, the property, cash and other assets of the Association, after satisfaction of all of its just debts, shall be distributed to, and for use in the furtherance of the purposes of, the State Bar of Arizona.