Print
Comment
Rate
Division 4 candidates differ on court plans
By Jonathan Shacat/Wick Communications
BISBEE - Incumbent Ann Littrell and challenger John Kelliher Jr., the two candidates for Cochise County's Division 4 Superior Court judge, have different plans if they are elected to serve in the office.
Littrell, who is serving her first term as judge, used to hear both dependency and delinquency cases. But earlier this year, an administrative order reassigned the dependency cases to Division 2 Judge Stephen Desens.
Littrell said she decided to transfer some of her caseload to another judge due to an increase in the number of contested cases and the need to spend more time on administrative matters.
Kelliher, however, contends the decision to reassign the cases was made by Wallace Hoggatt, the county's presiding judge, as a result of some administrative problems in Littrell's court.
"The sole reason I am running is to be the juvenile court judge, and we need an effective juvenile court judge. We have not had one, and that is evidenced by the dependencies being taken away from her," Kelliher said.
"I want to make it a single, unified court once again," he added. "That will take some of the pressure off of the other judges to allow them to deal with their caseloads."
Littrell, 55, said if she is re-elected, and if she could get funding, she would "take the court to the people" by setting up in locations such as Benson and Douglas. Doing so would prevent the need for people to travel long distances to Sierra Vista for a short hearing.
Also, she said, she envisions the implementation of a program that would mentor parents, in addition to a mentoring program currently available for juveniles.
"Like all the other judges, we serve the entire court. I am now handling some civil cases and some family law cases and so on. I will, of course, go wherever I am assigned to go. But my intent and my hope is to stay here as the presiding juvenile judge," she said.
Kelliher, 51, who is an attorney in Sierra Vista, said if elected judge, he would not make any other significant changes initially. But he made clear that he would "effectively" process the delinquency and dependency cases. Besides being more timely, he also would be more firm in decision making.
During the primary in early September, voters selected Littrell, a Democrat, and Kelliher, a Republican. Littrell beat Mark Suagee, the county's public defender, and Kelliher beat Roger Contreras, a deputy county attorney.
Meanwhile, James Conlogue, the current Division 5 judge, is running unopposed for his position.
Reporter Jonathon Shacat can be reached at 515-4693 or by e-mail at jonathon.shacat@bisbeereview.net.
Candidate information
John F. Kelliher Jr.
Republican
Age: 51
How long have you lived in the area: 36 years, lives near Sierra Vista.
Family: Wife, Martha; two children
Education/military: Bachelor of Arts, Claremont Men's College, now named Claremont McKenna College, 1979; juris doctorate, University of Arizona College of Law, 1982.
Employment history: Practiced law for 26 years in Sierra Vista; served as city attorney for Tombstone and Bisbee in the course of his practice; was a Superior Court Judge pro tem and a Justice of the Peace pro tem in Cochise County.
Community affiliations: Sunrise Rotary; Our Lady of the Mountains, 1200 Club, Thunder Mountain Republican Club.
Previous offices held: None
Contact: Phone (520) 458-3633
Ann R. Littrell
Democrat, incumbent
Age: 55
How long have you lived in the area: 43 years, resident of Bisbee.
Family: Divorced; three children
Education/military: Bachelor of Arts, University of Arizona 1975; University of Arizona College of Law, 1979.
Employment history: Immediately before becoming a judge she was a deputy county attorney for Cochise County representing the county and all the county's public school districts. Prior to that, she served as Douglas city attorney, Cochise County Probate Court commissioner and Cochise County Public Fiduciary.
Between her graduation from law school in 1979 and her return to Cochise County in 1988, she clerked at the Court of Appeals, served as managing attorney at Apache Legal Aid and was in private practice in Pinetop-Lakeside. She also has taught classes at Cochise College and Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.
Community affiliations: Active in professional associations such as the Arizona Committee on Juvenile Courts, Arizona Judges Association and National Council of Juvenile and Family Law Judges. Member of the League of Women Voters and Arizona Women Lawyers Association. Member of the 2008 Arizona Town Hall.
Previous offices held: Currently Division 4 Judge, serving in first term.
Contact: E-mail annforjudge08@hotmail.com, Web: www.voteann.com
Littrell, who is serving her first term as judge, used to hear both dependency and delinquency cases. But earlier this year, an administrative order reassigned the dependency cases to Division 2 Judge Stephen Desens.
Littrell said she decided to transfer some of her caseload to another judge due to an increase in the number of contested cases and the need to spend more time on administrative matters.
Kelliher, however, contends the decision to reassign the cases was made by Wallace Hoggatt, the county's presiding judge, as a result of some administrative problems in Littrell's court.
"The sole reason I am running is to be the juvenile court judge, and we need an effective juvenile court judge. We have not had one, and that is evidenced by the dependencies being taken away from her," Kelliher said.
"I want to make it a single, unified court once again," he added. "That will take some of the pressure off of the other judges to allow them to deal with their caseloads."
Littrell, 55, said if she is re-elected, and if she could get funding, she would "take the court to the people" by setting up in locations such as Benson and Douglas. Doing so would prevent the need for people to travel long distances to Sierra Vista for a short hearing.
Also, she said, she envisions the implementation of a program that would mentor parents, in addition to a mentoring program currently available for juveniles.
"Like all the other judges, we serve the entire court. I am now handling some civil cases and some family law cases and so on. I will, of course, go wherever I am assigned to go. But my intent and my hope is to stay here as the presiding juvenile judge," she said.
Kelliher, 51, who is an attorney in Sierra Vista, said if elected judge, he would not make any other significant changes initially. But he made clear that he would "effectively" process the delinquency and dependency cases. Besides being more timely, he also would be more firm in decision making.
During the primary in early September, voters selected Littrell, a Democrat, and Kelliher, a Republican. Littrell beat Mark Suagee, the county's public defender, and Kelliher beat Roger Contreras, a deputy county attorney.
Meanwhile, James Conlogue, the current Division 5 judge, is running unopposed for his position.
Reporter Jonathon Shacat can be reached at 515-4693 or by e-mail at jonathon.shacat@bisbeereview.net.
Candidate information
John F. Kelliher Jr.
Republican
Ann R. Littrell
Democrat, incumbent
Between her graduation from law school in 1979 and her return to Cochise County in 1988, she clerked at the Court of Appeals, served as managing attorney at Apache Legal Aid and was in private practice in Pinetop-Lakeside. She also has taught classes at Cochise College and Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.
 |
 |
|
| Willcox native, Kayla Shores, crowned | Chamber citizen, business nominations due today |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
