Christopher A. CombsQuestion: You have previously written that a Justice Court judge has jurisdiction over disputes less than $10,000 (for instance, disputes over $5,000 earnest money). Does a Justice Court judge have the same qualifications as a Superior Court judge?Answer: No. A Justice Court judge is an elected politician who is generally not a lawyer. A Superior Court judge is appointed by the governor and must be a lawyer.Comment: Justice Cout judges also have limited criminal jurisdiction. For example, the 1970s movie “The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing,” starring Burt Reynolds and Sarah Miles, was filmed in the Gila Bend area. During the filming of the movie, Miles’ ex-boyfriend and manager was found bloody and dead one night in her motel room. Miles had been in a fight that night with him and had left her motel room to spend the night with Reynolds in his motel room.A coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of death had to be conducted by the part-time Justice Court judge in Gila Bend, who was also a part-time plumber. Reynolds hired Phoenix attorney John Flynn (of “Miranda warnings” fame) for a $40,000 fee.At the coroner’s inquest, the part-time Gila Bend Justice Court judge ruled that Miles’ manager died of “accidental overdose/suicide” and that Reynolds had no criminal responsibility. A few days later, when Reynolds arrived at the Burbank airport, he was greeted by a horde of reporters. When one reporter asked what he thought of Arizona justice, Reynolds said that Arizona was the only place where you pay $40,000 to be found not guilty by a plumber!Contact real estate attorney Christopher A. Combs at chris@combsandsaal.com. …
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