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Division 4 Superior Court judge race between Irwin and Littrell
By MICHAEL SULLIVAN/Wick News Service
Cochise County Superior Court Judge Charles A. Irwin is seeking re-election to the bench in Division 4 in the Nov. 2 non-partisan general election.
Although the election is officially non-partisan, Irwin is a Republican and his opponent, Ann Littrell, is a Democrat.
Division 4 is Juvenile Court and handles delinquency and dependency (abused and neglected children) cases, as well as severance and adoption matters.
Charles Irwin
Irwin has been assigned to handle juvenile proceedings for five of his eight years on the bench. He is the presiding Juvenile Court judge for Cochise County and is stationed at the Sierra Vista Juvenile Court/Superior Court Complex on east Highway 90.
He was first elected in 1996 and was re-elected in 2000. From April 2000 to May 2003, Irwin was assigned to the adult criminal and civil bench in Bisbee.
During his time on the bench, the Cochise County Juvenile Court Advisory Council was established in 1999 and appointments of citizens from all areas of the county have been made to advise him on juvenile justice issues. The committee meets monthly and has been active in promoting the juvenile court and its goal of "Success for Every Child."
In 1999, Irwin also formed the Cochise County Juvenile Drug Court Program. This intensive drug treatment model has been cited as the "best practice" in national studies of treatment program and requires the active involvement of the child and family.
A federal grant of $300,000 was received in 2003 to allow this program to expand throughout the county.
Weekly Drug Court sessions are held in Willcox, Benson, Douglas and Sierra Vista.
In November 2000, Irwin accepted censure by the Arizona Supreme Court for improper conduct. Censure is the highest penalty for judicial misconduct short of suspension or removal from office.
Irwin conceded he made sexually inappropriate comments to a court employee, kept alcohol in his chambers and offered alcoholic drinks to employees in his chambers after court hours. He also acknowledged that two other court employees complained of what they perceived as sexually inappropriate comments. But he did not agree to the substance of those allegations.
In the settlement agreement, Irwin admitted he made "a sexually suggestive comment" to a female probation officer when he and she were alone in his chambers after court hours in 1998.
In addition to censure, Irwin agreed to attend 20 hours of workplace sensitivity training, with an emphasis on gender sensitivity.
The legal settlement with the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct came two days before a hearing on the charges against Irwin.
"I accepted the chastisement of the Conduct Commission in 2000 and used this painful experience to become a better judge," Irwin said last week. "I have a strong and healthy professional relationship with the court and Juvenile Court Services staff.
"In a misguided attempt to be humorous, I offended this officer with an inappropriate comment. Within a few days of my comment, the officer met with me and expressed that she was offended by my remark. I acknowledged my mistake, immediately apologized for having offended her, and thanked her for bringing the matter to my attention. That was over six years ago, and that particular officer and I interact within the court system almost on a daily basis."
The second offense involved a bottle of scotch that an employee presented to him at work during Christmas time in 1999, Irwin said.
"Instead of taking the gift home, I kept it in my office and on two or three occasions, after work, the court staff and I had a social drink," he said. "Although there was no court policy prohibiting alcohol on court property after business hours, I accepted the criticism of the Conduct Commission that such behavior did not reflect favorably on the court. The bottle was immediately removed, and I do not drink socially or otherwise with court staff."
Ann Littrell
Littrell wants to make history by being the first woman elected as a Superior Court judge in Cochise County. She has served as a probate commissioner in Superior Court about seven years ago through an appointment.
"The primary issue in this race is to elect a competent, unbiased Superior Court judge who understands the law and the people who live here and can handle a wide range of cases," Littrell said. "Although the Division 4 judge currently is assigned to the Juvenile Court, that assignment could change, as most courts like to rotate judges every few years."
Littrell called attention to her 25 years as an attorney, working in Legal Aid on the Apache Reservation, in private practice, as the county's public fiduciary, as the city of Douglas attorney and in her current role in the county Attorney's Office, representing the county's public school districts and employment law issues.
Important issues involving the Juvenile Court include fostering better communication with the school districts; promoting interagency communication and co-operation between the court, the schools and all agencies that serve juveniles and their families; ensuring there are sufficient drug and alcohol programs and other services for at-risk children and families; promoting and expanding mediation programs and the use of volunteers; and ensuring that dependent children are supported in their schools and foster homes.
Littrell said she would promote the establishment of teen courts in high schools around the county and "would treat everyone who came before the court fairly and with respect."
(Editor's Note: Michael Sullivan is a reporter for the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review.)
Although the election is officially non-partisan, Irwin is a Republican and his opponent, Ann Littrell, is a Democrat.
Division 4 is Juvenile Court and handles delinquency and dependency (abused and neglected children) cases, as well as severance and adoption matters.
Charles Irwin
Irwin has been assigned to handle juvenile proceedings for five of his eight years on the bench. He is the presiding Juvenile Court judge for Cochise County and is stationed at the Sierra Vista Juvenile Court/Superior Court Complex on east Highway 90.
He was first elected in 1996 and was re-elected in 2000. From April 2000 to May 2003, Irwin was assigned to the adult criminal and civil bench in Bisbee.
During his time on the bench, the Cochise County Juvenile Court Advisory Council was established in 1999 and appointments of citizens from all areas of the county have been made to advise him on juvenile justice issues. The committee meets monthly and has been active in promoting the juvenile court and its goal of "Success for Every Child."
In 1999, Irwin also formed the Cochise County Juvenile Drug Court Program. This intensive drug treatment model has been cited as the "best practice" in national studies of treatment program and requires the active involvement of the child and family.
A federal grant of $300,000 was received in 2003 to allow this program to expand throughout the county.
Weekly Drug Court sessions are held in Willcox, Benson, Douglas and Sierra Vista.
In November 2000, Irwin accepted censure by the Arizona Supreme Court for improper conduct. Censure is the highest penalty for judicial misconduct short of suspension or removal from office.
Irwin conceded he made sexually inappropriate comments to a court employee, kept alcohol in his chambers and offered alcoholic drinks to employees in his chambers after court hours. He also acknowledged that two other court employees complained of what they perceived as sexually inappropriate comments. But he did not agree to the substance of those allegations.
In the settlement agreement, Irwin admitted he made "a sexually suggestive comment" to a female probation officer when he and she were alone in his chambers after court hours in 1998.
In addition to censure, Irwin agreed to attend 20 hours of workplace sensitivity training, with an emphasis on gender sensitivity.
The legal settlement with the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct came two days before a hearing on the charges against Irwin.
"I accepted the chastisement of the Conduct Commission in 2000 and used this painful experience to become a better judge," Irwin said last week. "I have a strong and healthy professional relationship with the court and Juvenile Court Services staff.
"In a misguided attempt to be humorous, I offended this officer with an inappropriate comment. Within a few days of my comment, the officer met with me and expressed that she was offended by my remark. I acknowledged my mistake, immediately apologized for having offended her, and thanked her for bringing the matter to my attention. That was over six years ago, and that particular officer and I interact within the court system almost on a daily basis."
The second offense involved a bottle of scotch that an employee presented to him at work during Christmas time in 1999, Irwin said.
"Instead of taking the gift home, I kept it in my office and on two or three occasions, after work, the court staff and I had a social drink," he said. "Although there was no court policy prohibiting alcohol on court property after business hours, I accepted the criticism of the Conduct Commission that such behavior did not reflect favorably on the court. The bottle was immediately removed, and I do not drink socially or otherwise with court staff."
Ann Littrell
Littrell wants to make history by being the first woman elected as a Superior Court judge in Cochise County. She has served as a probate commissioner in Superior Court about seven years ago through an appointment.
"The primary issue in this race is to elect a competent, unbiased Superior Court judge who understands the law and the people who live here and can handle a wide range of cases," Littrell said. "Although the Division 4 judge currently is assigned to the Juvenile Court, that assignment could change, as most courts like to rotate judges every few years."
Littrell called attention to her 25 years as an attorney, working in Legal Aid on the Apache Reservation, in private practice, as the county's public fiduciary, as the city of Douglas attorney and in her current role in the county Attorney's Office, representing the county's public school districts and employment law issues.
Important issues involving the Juvenile Court include fostering better communication with the school districts; promoting interagency communication and co-operation between the court, the schools and all agencies that serve juveniles and their families; ensuring there are sufficient drug and alcohol programs and other services for at-risk children and families; promoting and expanding mediation programs and the use of volunteers; and ensuring that dependent children are supported in their schools and foster homes.
Littrell said she would promote the establishment of teen courts in high schools around the county and "would treat everyone who came before the court fairly and with respect."
(Editor's Note: Michael Sullivan is a reporter for the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review.)
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