The American Judges Association

From Judgepedia

The American Judges Association was founded in 1959, and considers itself to be "The Voice of the Judiciary."

History

The American Judges Association was founded as the National Association of Municipal Judges (NAMJ) in 1959 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was renamed it's current name in 1973 because the group was bringing in a broader base of judges joining. There are currently over 3000 members in the Association.^[1]

Objective

The objective of the Association is to promote and improve the administration of justice, to maintain the independence of the judiciary, and to provide a forum for the continuing education of its members and the public.^[2]

Officers and Board of Governors

Officers

• President, Judge Eileen Olds
• President-Elect, Judge Tam Nomoto Schumann
• Vice President, Judge James McKay
• Secretary, Judge Mary A. Celeste
• Treasurer, Judge Harold V. Froehlich
• Immediate Past President, Judge Steve Leben
• Historian, Judge Brian Jeffcoat
• Parliamentarian, Judge Lynda Howell

Board of Governors

The Board of Governors is composed of representatives from 14 districts.

District 1 Judge Irwin Lampert Judge Gerald Locas Judge Elliott Zide District 2 Justice Abraham Gerges Judge Eileen Nadelson Judge Harvey Sklaver District 3 Judge James Faison Judge Ron Garvin Judge Damian Murray District 4 Judge Brian Jeffcoat Judge Jerrauld Jones Judge Robert Pustilnik District 5 Judge James Oxendine Judge Arthur H. Taylor District 6 Judge Robert E. Burgess Judge John E. Conery Judge David Gorbaty District 7 Judge Sherry Jackson Hawkins Judge Corinne Mason Judge Nathan White

District 8 Judge Leon Ruben Judge John Rosson District 9 Judge Larry Allen Judge Howard H. Harcha Judge Jack Puffenberger District 10 Judge Beverly Hayes-Sipes Judge Elizabeth Hines Judge Brian MacKenzie District 11 Judge Kevin S. Burke Justice William A. Gorewich Judge Michael McAdam District 12 Judge Martha Ashburn Judge Lynda Howell Judge Denise Lightford District 13 Judge Kenneth Eiesland Judge Richard Kayne Judge Gail Maltby District 14 Judge Bert Brown Judge Jay Dilworth Judge James Van Winkle

Publications and Reports

The American Judges Association publishes the AJA Benchmark, a quarterly newsletter, Court Review, a quarterly journal, and Domestic Violence, a booklet to provide judges with information about victims of domestic violence.^[3]

American Judges Foundation

The American Judges Foundation is a nonprofit corporation formed to promote and improve the Judiciary and Justice by providing financial and other support to projects and groups that promote these objectives. According to the website, "We have our roots deep within the American Judges Association, which is the largest association for Judges in North America."^[4]

Funding

The annual budget for the Association is $100,000.^[5]

Association Against Term Limits for Appellate Judges

According to a press release, the American Judges Association opposed a proposed Colorado constitutional amendment limiting the terms of appellate judges. According to then president Steve Leben, "Under our system of government, the executive and legislative branches are political. If the third branch--the judiciary--is not kept out of the political fray, it cannot do its job of providing a check and balance on the other branches." Further, "Judges must be accountable to the Constitution and the law, not to politicians or temporary moves in public opinion. Removing the most experienced appellate judges would be unwise and unnecessary.”

This amendment would change the judicial merit-selection that has been in place for 40 years.^[6]

See Also

External Links

For news releases from The American Judges Association, visit American Judges Association: News Releases.

References