Keep in mind: Any judges who are not retained will be replaced by the governor (with the exception of judges in smaller counties, who are not appointed). So if Hobbs “beats” Biggs, could be out of the frying pan into the fire, which is why I’ve given them different levels of urgency. This is subject to change if anyone gives me more info.
Sources
- LD 4 list of judges to vote no on: https://azld4gop.org/VOTERGUIDE/
- Freedom PAC list of judges to vote yes or no on (some slight disagreements with my list)https://azballot.org/
- Vote the opposite of what the left-wing site AZJudgeWatch recommends:
https://azjudgewatch.com/voter-guide/ - Robing Room — provides opinions on judges, but many of them are just disgruntled litigants: http://www.therobingroom.com/arizona/
- Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review doesn’t provide much useful information about judges, and every single one up for retention passed their test: https://www.azcourts.gov/jpr/Judicial-Performance-Reports/2024-Judicial-Performance-Reports
- An X account tracking Maricopa County judges: https://x.com/MaricopaJudges
Grades
- A — Best judges
- B — Appears to be overall a good judge
- C — Don’t know enough about this judge to decide
- D — Appears to be a bad judge
- F — Worst judges
The name after each judge refers to the governor who appointed the judge; either Republicans Doug Ducey and Jan Brewer or Democrats Janet Napolitano and Katie Hobbs. While there is a myth going around that judges are randomly appointed to cases, this is not accurate, the presiding judge makes these determinations — they know when they are assigning a case to an election fraud denier. It is currently Joseph Welty, who is up for election.
Arizona Supreme Court
John R. Lopez Grade B
I’ve always liked him, I believe he is one of the better justices on the court, but one of my close attorney friends does not, citing his decision in Doe v. Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (July 30, 2026). It held that clergy are not required to report child abuse learned in a confession or other confidential religious communication when church doctrine calls for confidentiality. Overall, the vast majority of his votes and opinions have been great, but all of the justices have had some really awful rulings on election cases.
Arizona Court of Appeals
Sean Brearcliffe Grade F
In October 2023 he joined Judge Michael Kelly’s unanimous Division Two opinion (with Judge Peter Eckerstrom) in the Cochise County hand-count case. The court held that Cochise supervisors and the recorder had no authority to order a full hand count of all 2022 ballots outside the gradual, multi-step audit process in state law. He authored an opinion affirming a lower court’s decision throwing out Kari Lake’s election lawsuit.
Michael S. Catlett Grade A
One of the best judges on the bench. Longtime Federalist Society member and was endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. Was Deputy Solicitor General and Chief Counsel of Special Litigation in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office under Republican AG Mark Brnovich, represented the state on issues like the Second Amendment, election law, and abortion. He argued in late 2022 that Arizona’s 1864 near-total abortion ban (life-of-the-mother exception only) controlled after Roe was overturned, and that a newer 15-week statute had not repealed it. He ruled cities cannot require a prevailing wage on contracts. He ruled that cartel lawyer Adrian Fontes must turn over the names of 218,000 voters who likely lacked proof of citizenship.
Karl C. Eppich Grade D
He agreed with an Arizona Court of Appeals panel affirming the trial court’s rejection of Kari Lake’s remaining challenge to the 2022 gubernatorial election. He was a member of the Federalist Society in law school. However, an attorney friend of mine really likes him.
Anni Hill Foster Grade D
She rejected a lawsuit for no standing that challenged unstaffed ballot drop boxes, voter-registration cancellations, and early-ballot signature verification in Yavapai and other counties. She also found no authority for a claim that Arizona law requires drop boxes to be staffed at all times, and no showing that the counties’ signature procedures violated state law. Served as deputy general counsel (2017–18) and general counsel (from 2018) to Gov. Ducey. She is a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association, has spoken at a Federalist Society event, attended a Law & Economics Center training, and was endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.
Lacey Stover Gard Grade D
She authored a dismissal to a legal challenge to the state’s 2023 Election Procedures Manual that had been brought by the Republican National Committee, the Arizona Republican Party and the Yavapai County Republican Party. “Here, the RNC has failed to explain how the challenged EPM provisions ‘make the competitive landscape worse’ for it or its candidates than it would be without the provisions,” she wrote. Her last pre-bench job was in the Attorney General’s Office under Republican administrations. In her September 2022 judicial application she listed her voter registration as Democrat from 1997 to 2013 and Republican from 2013 on. A professional profile says she has been a member of the Federalist Society.
Randall M. Howe Grade F
He rejected Hamadeh’s appeal of the dismissal of his election lawsuit as “premature” despite the trial judge failing to sign the order (disgusting). In Arizona Republican Party v. Richer (2023), he joined Judge Michael Brown’s opinion affirming dismissal of the Arizona Republican Party’s challenge to Maricopa County’s 2020 hand-count audit. The audit of machine and mail ballots found no discrepancies; the court also upheld an attorneys’ fee award against the party. In the April 2026 America First Legal / Strong Communities Foundation case, he joined Judge Anni Hill Foster’s unanimous opinion dismissing challenges to unstaffed drop boxes, registration cancellations, and early-ballot signature verification for lack of standing.
Andrew M. Jacobs Grade F
Was a research assistant to leftist law professor Laurence Tribe. He re-founded the Arizona lawyer chapter of the American Constitution Society and was its president for many years. ACS is generally the liberal counterpart to the Federalist Society. Before he was a judge he made political donations, including two $250 contributions to Democrat Kris Mayes’s 2022 attorney-general campaign (June 18 and August 11, 2022). In 2025, Sen. Jake Hoffman—one of the alternate electors for Trump indicted by the fake AZ AG Mayes—asked that Jacobs be removed from a three-judge panel that would decide whether the charges should be dismissed as a First Amendment / anti-SLAPP violation. Hoffman’s lawyers pointed to Jacobs’s pre-bench donations to Mayes, including one after Mayes had publicly discussed the electors.
Michael F. Kelly Grade F
In October 2023 he wrote the unanimous opinion, joined by Judges Sean Brearcliffe and Peter Eckerstrom, holding that Cochise County supervisors and the recorder had no authority to hand-count all 2022 ballots outside the gradual, multi-step process in state law. The county’s plan to do full hand counts in future elections if the trial ruling were reversed was rejected. In November 2025 he wrote the unanimous opinion dismissing Mohave County Supervisor Ron Gould’s suit against Attorney General Kris Mayes. Gould wanted immunity from prosecution and a ruling that supervisors may order a full hand count after Mayes warned that scrapping machine tabulation “may result” in criminal penalties. Kelly held the claim was speculative: the board never voted for a hand count, and the letter was not a specific threat of prosecution.
Daniel J. Kiley Grade F
On November 13, 2020, he dismissed claims filed for Donald Trump’s campaign, the Republican National Committee, and the Arizona Republican Party in Maricopa County as moot. As a superior-court judge he also denied a preliminary injunction against the voter-approved 2016 minimum-wage and paid-sick-leave initiative (Proposition 206); the Arizona Supreme Court later denied special-action relief. He kept a clean-energy ballot measure on the ballot. Arizona Free Enterprise Club endorsed him in his 2020 superior-court retention race.
James B. Morse Grade F
In Mast v. Mayes (2024), he joined Judge David Weinzweig’s memorandum decision (with Judge Jennifer Perkins) affirming dismissal of claims by David Mast, Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby, and Abraham Hamadeh. They had challenged Maricopa County’s 2022 practice of comparing early-ballot signatures to historical reference signatures, including prior early-ballot affidavits, and sought to unsettle the attorney-general result. He temporarily blocked a ruling that was favorable to Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap in his long-running legal battle with the board of supervisors over control of the county’s elections. Arizona Free Enterprise Club endorsed him in his 2020 retention race and he participated in a 2022 Federalist Society symposium on originalism and the Arizona Constitution.
Christopher J. O’Neil Grade F
Joined a dismissal to a legal challenge to the state’s 2023 Election Procedures Manual that had been brought by the Republican National Committee, the Arizona Republican Party and the Yavapai County Republican Party. (His father, former Arizona Bar disciplinary judge William O’Neil, wrongly disbarred conservative former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas — archive of libertyanvil.com/at.html — and suspended my law license for 6 months, when even the bar was only asking to suspend it for 6 months + 1 day — the AZ Supreme Court lowered my suspension to 6 months).
Jennifer M. Perkins Grade B
She spent about five years at the conservative libertarian Institute for Justice’s Arizona chapter litigating civil-rights cases. Has spent time in leadership in the Phoenix Federalist Society including as president. She moderated a 2022 Federalist Society symposium on originalism and the Arizona Constitution. Served as assistant solicitor general in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office under Mark Brnovich. Could only find one election case I disagreed with her on.
Jeffrey L. Sklar Grade D
Wrote the opinion ruling that the GOP and other conservative groups did not have standing to challenge state election rules, including the ways county recorders can verify a voter’s signature on their early ballot. However he also authored the opinion holding that fake AZ AG Mayes wrongfully withheld records showing coordination with the far left States United Democracy Center.
David Weinzweig Grade F
He wrote the Court of Appeals decision in Mast v. Mayes (October 2024). David Mast, Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby, and Abraham Hamadeh had sued over Maricopa County’s 2022 practice of comparing early-ballot signatures to historical reference signatures, including prior early-ballot affidavits, and sought to unsettle the attorney-general result. The panel affirmed dismissal of the mandamus and quo warranto claims and reversed only the sanctions award. The trial court had treated the signature-verification attack as untimely and as a repeat of Hamadeh’s failed election contest. He also authored an opinion stating that a lower court judge was wrong to reject a transgender’s name change.
Maricopa County Superior Court
Bradley Astrowsky (Brewer) GRADE F
He threw out a request by Mohave County Supervisor Ron Gould to get an order barring Attorney General Kris Mayes from subjecting him to “threats and intimidation” for pushing for a hand count of elections. He ordered the Arizona Senate and contractor Cyber Ninjas to immediately release to American Oversight documents related to the Senate’s attempted audit of 2020 presidential election ballots cast in Maricopa County — even though Cyber Ninjas is a private organization that should not be subject to public records requests. At the same time, he refused to order Runbeck to turn over video of its loading dock to We the People AZ Alliance, even though Runbeck is also a private company. Was harshly criticized in this article — https://medium.com/@jaxmenez.Saved.by.Grace/fighting-back-welcome-to-the-clown-show-1877485510d7
Michael C. Blair (Ducey) GRADE F
He threw out valid prosecutions by outstanding conservative former Maricopa County prosecutor April Sponsel (who the corrupt State Bar of Arizona went after for daring to prosecute violent Antifa).
John L. Blanchard (Ducey) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. Former partner at Osborn Maledon, a longtime notorious left-wing firm. Clerked for Judge William C. Canby, Jr. on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, who was appointed by a Democrat.
Mark H. Brain (Brewer) GRADE F
Republican. Allowed Phoenix to ban “Guns Save Lives” ads from bus shelters. Was reversed on appeal. In 2011, Brain rejected a case brought by Republicans wanting to toss out all signatures collected for the Russell Pearce recall petition. Brain dismissed a Goldwater Institute lawsuit against the Citizens Clean Elections Commission that claimed the commission’s outreach efforts to the public were self-promotion and not education, which is not allowed. Although prosecutors agreed to only probation for a woman who damaged a mosque, Brain gave her an additional 30 days in jail.
Robert I. Brooks (Ducey) GRADE B
Republican. Endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.
Sunita A. Cairo (Ducey) GRADE C
She hasn’t been on the bench long, only handled criminal cases. She has been chair of the State Bar’s Council on Minorities and Women in the Law.
Michelle Carson (Hobbs) GRADE F
Democrat. LD 4 says vote no. Former public defender who advocates for “bail reform.” Considered one of the worst judges — https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149. Four fathers testified against her — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTl7uckmr-E
Gregory S. Como (Ducey) GRADE F
Democrat. LD 4 said to vote no. Struck down pre-Prop 139 abortion restrictions (2026) and a GOP anti-union ballot measure on single-subject grounds.
Katherine M. Cooper (Brewer) GRADE A
I had an outstanding experience with her handling a case. Sided with the Goldwater Institute in their lawsuit against the Phoenix police union, halting the spending of taxpayer money for “release time.” Ruled that it was okay for Ducey to cut off additional unemployment payments two months early to force people back into work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Max-Henri Covil (Ducey) GRADE C
Attended two trainings by the Law & Economics Center. Former public defender.
Kristin Culbertson (Ducey) GRADE A
She clerked for a Republican judge and donated almost $5,000 to Republicans.
Marvin L. Davis (Ducey) GRADE C
Former public defender.
Monica B. Edelstein (Ducey) GRADE B
She clerked for a Republican judge.
Geoffrey Fish (Brewer) GRADE F
Refused to dismiss Kris Mayes’ lawfare prosecution of Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby for delaying the canvassing of the election over concerns about election fraud. Attorney Vlad Gagic said he heard Fish make disparaging remarks about those concerned about election fraud in the 2022 election, including Abe Hamadeh.
Dewain Fox (Ducey) GRADE F
Fox ruled Arizona is guilty of underfunding public schools. He refused to exempt a power plant from environmental review.
Jillian B. Francis (Ducey) GRADE B
She attended one judicial training, the Economic Institute for Judges run by the Law & Economics Center (often described as market-oriented or conservative-leaning judicial education).
Melody Garland Harmon (Hobbs) GRADE F
Member of the Human Rights Campaign (an LGBTQ advocacy organization).
Marischa H. Gilla (Hobbs) GRADE D
Jennifer Green (Brewer) GRADE F
In November 2024, as Criminal Presiding Judge, she denied the Arizona Republic’s request to unseal grand-jury transcripts from Attorney General Kris Mayes’s indictment of 18 Republicans and Trump allies. However, she was endorsed previously by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.
Lauren R. Guyton (Hobbs) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. Background as a public defender and has a degree in social work.
Michael J. Herrod (Brewer) GRADE A+
One of the best judges we’ve ever had on the bench.
Charlene D. Jackson (Ducey) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. Has been terrible on family court issues — https://davisvanguard.org/2025/06/arizona-family-court-corruption-exposed/. Rep. Rachel Keshel threatened to investigate her — https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/02/07/keshel-threatens-to-investigate-judge-over-pending-family-court-case/. Considered one of the worst judges — https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149
Melissa I. Julian (Ducey) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. Has donated about $1,600 to various Democrats. In August 2024 she ruled that the Republican-controlled Legislative Council’s voter-pamphlet description of Proposition 140 (the open-primary / ranked-choice measure) was arranged to mislead voters and “to dissuade voters from supporting the initiative.” She dismissed Mark Finchem’s election lawsuit, and ordered him and his attorney to pay more than $48,000 in sanctions. She rejected a lawsuit to block the abortion until birth ballot measure. She ruled that documentation of every vote cast in an election is not a public record.
Amy M. Kalman (Hobbs) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. She opposes the death penalty.
Joseph S. Kiefer (Ducey) GRADE F
He is a Republican. Was endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. Has a background in the law serving in the military.
Joseph C. Kreamer (Napolitano) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. Recently struck down a GOP voucher-protection/education ballot measure for violating the single-subject rule.
Kerstin G. LeMaire (Ducey) GRADE F
LeMaire was the judicial sponsor of a 2023–2024 strategic initiative to identify, assess, and recommend initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the judicial branch.
Daniel G. Martin (Napolitano) GRADE D
LD 4 says vote no. He required the GOP legislature to rewrite a ballot description about an anti-ESA measure, stating that it would coerce people into voting against it. He’s been OK on election issues, although he said he was not convinced voter privacy was protected during the legislature’s investigation of the 2020 election. Martin ruled that the city union’s “release time” practice did not violate the rights of non-union workers or the Constitution. He allowed a lawsuit against the state to move forward that alleges that state budget cuts have deprived public schools of necessary capital funding for years. However, an attorney friend of mine really likes him.
Julie A. Mata (Ducey) GRADE A
My attorney friends rave about her. She allowed a proposition to ban DEI to remain on the ballot. She ruled that Adrian Fontes illegally called ESAs “vouchers” in ballot description language.
Steven W. McCarthy (Hobbs) GRADE D
Frank W. Moskowitz (Brewer) GRADE F
In September 2024 he kept Proposition 140, the open-primary / ranked-choice measure, on the ballot after the Arizona Supreme Court sent a signature challenge back to him. Arizona Free Enterprise Club President Scot accused him of bias after the remand, since 37,657 petition signatures were duplicates. He ruled that Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban was unconstitutional.
Samuel J. Myers (Napolitano) GRADE D
LD 4 says vote no. As a law student in 1992 he interned for U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini, a Democrat. However, he did throw out Kris Mayes’ indictments of the 2020 alternate electors for Trump, stating that she would need to redo it since jurors were not given the 1887 Electoral Count Act (so far Mayes has not tried to get another indictment). Unfortunately, he sides a lot with RINO Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
Suzanne M. Nicholls (Ducey) GRADE C
Republican. As a student she clerked for Yuma County Superior Court Judge Andrew W. Gould, a Republican, and externed for Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Donn Kessler, who was appointed to the bench by Napolitano.
Colleen E. O’Donnell-Smith (Hobbs) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. She clerked for liberal judges. Considered one of the worst judges — https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149
Jay M. Polk (Brewer) GRADE A
Republican. He has a biographical page on the Federalist Society website and spoke at one of their events. He clerked for a Republican judge.
Michael Z. Rassas (Ducey) GRADE D
LD 4 says vote no. Republican. Was endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.
Joshua D. Rogers GRADE A
Republican. A Master’s University alumni profile quotes him saying his time there shaped a biblical worldview and that he tries to honor Christ in his work. He does pro bono work for his church and the community. Attended two trainings by the Law & Economics Center.
Jeffrey Rueter (Ducey) GRADE C
Jennifer Ryan-Touhill (Brewer) GRADE A
In August 2024 she partly sided with the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and America First Policy Institute in a challenge to Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’s 2023 Elections Procedures Manual. She blocked enforcement of provisions restricting polling-place speech, clothing, and “harassment,” calling them greater than necessary, vague, overbroad, and a universal prohibition on conduct.
Aryeh D. Schwartz (Ducey) GRADE A
Early private practice included a short stint at Wilenchik & Bartness, a firm often associated with Republican clients.
Ronee Korbin Steiner GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. She clerked for a judge who appeared to be a Democrat.
Danielle J. Viola (Brewer) GRADE F
She dismissed former Maricopa County prosecutor April Sponsel’s lawsuit against the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office over wrongful termination. I’ve written extensively about this, Sponsel prosecuted violent Antifa members, and the office turned on her after the fake news reported dishonestly on the prosecution.
Randall H. Warner (Napolitano) GRADE F
Democrat. LD 4 says vote no. In December 2020 he dismissed Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward’s challenge to Joe Biden’s Arizona win. In the 2022 attorney-general contest he dismissed Abe Hamadeh’s challenge as premature because the vote had not yet been canvassed. He refused to enforce an Arizona Legislature subpoena of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to turn over access to voting machines. He required Kari Lake to turn over documents that she objected to in Stephen Richer’s bogus defamation lawsuit against her. He ruled against blocking a Phoenix school district’s mask mandate. He clerked for a Democratic judge. He donates to Democrats. [Sarcastic comment: Note how this far leftist has been assigned so many election cases]
Joseph C. Welty (Napolitano) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no. As presiding judge since 2019, he’s been assigning election cases to some of the worst Democrats like Warner.
Roy “Chuck” Whitehead (Ducey) GRADE F
Accused of going to strip clubs during work hours and leaving his business card in VIP rooms. This account on X makes even more devastating accusations. He refused to allow evidence of a brutal murderer’s DNA since the DNA evidence should have been destroyed earlier due to records retention policies. The Arizona Court of Appeals reversed him and the Arizona Supreme Court upheld it.
Paula A. Williams (Hobbs) GRADE F
Democrat. LD 4 says vote no. Donated $3,082 to Democratic candidates. Considered one of the worst judges — https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149
William R. Wingard (Hobbs) GRADE F
LD 4 says vote no.
Cassie B. Woo (Ducey) GRADE A
AZ Judge Watch tags her “ties to conservative organizations.” Was endorsed by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. She clerked for a Republican judge.
Melissa M. Zabor (Hobbs) GRADE D
LD 4 says vote no. However, AZ Judge Watch said she attended four events by the Law & Economics Center. The site does say she’s a Democrat. Considered one of the worst judges — https://x.com/toxikVlad/status/2100333918608376149
Pima County Superior Court Judges
- Sandra M. Bensley (Hobbs) GRADE D
- Jeffrey T. Bergin (Brewer) GRADE B
As presiding judge, he pushed back against county supervisors trying to force the judiciary to deal with “racial disparities” in the justice system, citing separation of powers. - Janet C. Bostwick (Ducey) GRADE C
Registered Independent. Was in-house counsel at Raytheon. - Randi L. Burnett (Hobbs) GRADE D
She was a founding board member of Step Up to Justice, a Tucson pro bono civil-legal group. Staff attorney and law-student coordinator at Southern Arizona Legal Aid. - J. Alan Goodwin (Ducey) GRADE C
Background practicing law including prosecution in the military. - Cynthia Kuhn (Ducey) GRADE F
Dismissed an injunction against harassment filed by Rep. Rachel Keshel against the anonymous troll Coffin who harasses and stalks conservatives. Donates to both Democrats and Republicans. - Danelle Liwski (Brewer) GRADE B
Former prosecutor. Received a gift of over $500 from the Law & Economics Center. - Kathleen A. Quigley (Brewer) GRADE C
Former prosecutor. - Laurie B. San Angelo (Ducey) GRADE B
Clerked for a Republican judge. Former prosecutor. - Catherine M. Woods (Brewer) GRADE A
Republican. Donated $5,656 to various Republican candidates. Woods ruled in favor of the Goldwater Institute in 2018, when it sued Pima County over its contract with a high-altitude balloon launch company, claiming the county did not comply with state law when funding it. The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance rarely recommends not retaining a judge, but they recommended that with her in 2014, so you know she’s a great judge.
PINAL COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES
Jessica K. Dixon (Hobbs) GRADE F
Worked with the leftist Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, the rest of her resume is similar types of legal work that leftist lawyers practice.
Steven J. Fuller (ran for office as a Republican) GRADE B
Former prosecutor.
Danielle Harris (Hobbs) GRADE D
May be soft on crime, only gave a gang member 3 years probation for a violent assault on multiple victims, Gilbert Goons Jacob Pennington. He then proceeded to violate his probation.
Delia R. Neal (Ducey) GRADE B
In a 2024 special action, cartel lawyer Adrian Fontes sought to force Pinal County to comply with the Elections Procedures Manual by equipping accessible voting devices with all ballot styles and counting provisional ballots cast by voters at the wrong precinct - this would allow voters to cast ballots on demand anywhere in the county. Neal ruled that it was too close to the election for Fontes to change this.
Karen F. Palmer (Hobbs) GRADE D
Daniel A. Washburn (ran for office as a Republican) GRADE A
He’s reportedly been associated with Tea Party-aligned groups or events, including fundraisers.
COCHISE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES
Deana Champagne (Hobbs, then ran as a Republican) GRADE C
Joel Larson (Democrat) GRADE C
Former criminal defense attorney.
David Thorn (Republican) GRADE D
In 2023, Thorn dismissed a lawsuit challenging the May 2023 Cochise County jail-tax election (which had passed). Contesters argued the elections board lacked authority and that votes were “illegal.” They argued that the county illegally disenfranchised roughly 11,000 inactive voters by not mailing them ballots in an all-mail election (plus related procedural claims). Thorn initially dismissed one version of the challenge. The Arizona Court of Appeals later held that inactive voters should have received ballots.