Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Adam W. Watters
FILED
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Telephone: (602) 452-3200
Email: mvivona@courts. az. gov
tt4AR
06
2015
ARIZONA COMMISSION ON
JUDICIALCONDUCT
STATE OF ARIZONA
Inquiry concerning
Judge Adam Watters
Precinct One, Pima County
Consolidated Justice Court
State of Arizona
Respondent
)
)
)
STATEMENT OF CHARGES
)
)
Adam Watters (hereafter Respondent) for two violations of Rule 1.3 of the Arizona
Code of
this Statement of
JURISDICTION
1.
Article 6.1, S 4 of the Arizona Constitution and the Rules of the Commission.
2.
3.
Respondent was serving in his capacity as a judge at all times relevant to these
. Part-time justice of the peace, late 2000 or early 2001 through May 6, 2008;
. Full-time justice of the peace, May 6, 2008 through December 31, 2008;
o Part-time justice of the peace, January 1, 2009 through December 3L,2014;
. Currently, Respondent is a full-time justice of the peace.
4.
As
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
5.
During the time period that Respondent served as a part-time justice of the
peace, he was also a licensed Arizona attorney engaging in the private practice of law.
6.
In May 2014, Respondent was practicing at Watters & Watters, PLLC, a law
7.
8.
Exhibit
9.
10.
Exhibit
judicial robe.
Exhibit 1 also includes the following language to describe Judge Watters, 'Adam
W. Watters is o former
systefii.."
11.
Upon information and belief, both the photograph and Judge Watters in his
judicial rode and the language quoted in paragraph 10 were on Watters & Watters
PLLC's webpage for some time, to be determined with specificity at the hearing held to
consider this Statement of Charges.
12.
separate violations of the following provisions of the Code and Arizona Constitution.
a. Rule
1.3, which provides that a judge "sha1l not abuse the prestige of
it
deems appropriate.
Mered.ith Vivona
Acting Disciplinary Counsel
Copy. of,,this
pleading served
EXHIBIT
Page2 of3
2014-165
DePaul UniversitY
University of Arizona,
Languages:
Member and
.
.
United States
Ninth Circuit
United States
'. Arizona S
'
Arizona
.
.
Arizona Trial
Association of T
Court
of Appeals
Court
Court
Association
Lawyers of America
r American Bar
Association
Arizona Women
Pima County Ba Association
ln addition to her
continues its ongoing
Adam W. Watters is
Adam is an
Law, Products Lia
Arizona State Uni
University of
Member and
. United States
. Ninth Circuit
. United States
practice, Andrea is the proud mother of her daughter, Charlotte. Her firm
of breast cancer research.
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Law Degree
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AboutJhe-AttorneY s.html
51712014
FILED
MAR 2
o*i8s,tfi?
of
Arizona
State
COMMISSION ON IUDICIAL CONDUCT
2
3
Case
Judge,
Adam Watters,
No.:
2015
u3 ['S.!o#
o'
L4-165
RESPONSE TO STATEMENT OF
CHARGES
vs.
'7
10
11
L2
13
Adam Watters does hereby respond to the Statement of Charges filed March
6,
2015.
t4
]urisdiction.
15
Factual Background
18
19
Respondent agrees in part with paragraph7, but asserts that at no time did he
20
place any information on his firm's website and asserts that he was unaware that the
2L
photo showing him wearing a robe was on the website until the day it was removed.
22
/1
Respondent asserts,
Zq
25
in
website for at most three weeks, and that the day Respondent discovered the photo
it
removed prior to any knowledge Respondent had of the written complaint made by
3
4
Conduct nor did he violate Article 6.1, Section 4 of the Arizona Constitution.
disciplinary counsel and, in the alternative dismiss the complaint in its entirety or
10
asserts
that he was unaware of the photo being placed on his firm's website, that
11
the photo was published for less than a month, and that the day he
L2
discovered the photo was being published on the website, he took direct
t-3
b)
The judge's experience and length of service on the bench. Respondent has
L6
in Pima County
f.ot 14
L'l
19
conduct as a judge.
ZU
2L
22
23
c)
Whether the conduct occurred in the judge's official capacity or private life.
The photo, which was taken when the Respondent was a full-time iudge
member.
The Respondent asserts that the act was not in his official capacity as he
24
d) The nature and extent to which the acts of misconduct injured other persons
or respect for the judiciary. The photo was up for at most three weeks.
It
is unlikely, given that the firm website is rarely visite4 that more than
handful of people noticed the photo, if indeed anyone did so other than
Anne Segal, who at the time was involved in a political campaign against
the Respondent.
e) \A/hether and to what extent the judge exploited his or her position for
improper purposes. Respondent asserts that when he determined to run
for office, in early April prior to the photo being published, he stopped
10
t_1
1-2
13
person who later placed the photo on the site, knew he had decided not to
14
1tr
t6
in no way aided
f)
\Atrhether the
7'7
18
stated above, Respondent, upon notification that the photo had been
19
20
21
22
23
25
the
24
s) Whether there has been prior disciplinary action concerning the judge, and
if
has never been disciplined and has never received any complaints.
h) Inapplicable
0 Whether the judge cooperated fully and honestly with the commission in
'1
fully
Inapplicable.
9
r0
DATED
THIS 20th
day
of
March
11
/sAdam Watters
L2
13
l_4
15
L6
t'7
18
19
20
2L
22
23
24
25
2015.
FILHM
APR
^'' 53$,t
co MMr s'
5
6
AdamWatters,
otJt"n?i,filtli,
)
)
)
]udge,
vs.
Anne Fisher Segal,
Complaintant.
)
)
Case
coND
No.:
2015
fr? BBlu';,!u#
ucr
L4-165
RESPONSE TO STATEMENT OF
CHARGES-Supplemental
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
I
9
10
11
12
13
Adam Watters does hereby respond to the Statement of Charges filed March
6,
2015.
L4
]urisdiction.
15
Factual Background
18
19
Respondent agrees in part with paragraph 7, but asserts that at no time did he
20
place any information on his firm's website and asserts that he was unaware that the
21-
photo showing him wearing a robe or the language refering to him working as
22
pro tem judge was on the website until the day it was removed.
23
24
Respondent asserts,
25
in
response
to
accompanying language (caption) was on the website for at most three weeks, and
that the day Respondent discovered the photo was posted, he requested that such be
removed and it was and that such was removed prior to any knowledge Respondent
I
9
Respondent asserts that he did not violate Rule 1.3 of the Code of Judicial
Conduct nor did he violate Article 6.1, Section 4 of the Arizona Constitution.
disciplinary counsel and, in the alternative dismiss the complaint in its entirety or
issue a private admonition and/or waming to the Respondent.
10
a)
11
that he was unaware of the photo being placed on his firm's website, that
t2
the photo was published for less than a month, and that the day he
13
discovered the photo was being published on the website, he took direct
74
15
L6
b)
The judge's experience and length of service on the bench. Respondent has
been an active and part-time justice of the peace in Pima County f.ot 14
L1
no complaints regarding
his
20
conduct as a iudge.
27
22
23
c)
The photo, which was taken when the Respondent was a full-time iudge
in
24
The Respondent asserts that the act was not in his official capacity as he
25
d)
The nature and extent to which the acts of misconduct injured other persons
or respect for the judiciary. The photo was up for at most three weeks.
It
is unlikely, given that the firm website is rarely visited, that more than
handful of people noticed the photo, if indeed anyone did so other than
Anne Segal, who at the time was involved in a political campaign against
the Respondent.
e)
\Atrhether and
for office, in early April prior to the photo being published he stopped
l-0
t1
L2
13
74
15
in no way aided
L6
\Atrhether the
1'7
18
stated above, Respondent, upon notification that the photo had been
1,9
20
27
22
23
25
24
it
made
s) Whether there has been prior disciplinary action concerning the judge, and
if
has never been disciplined and has never received any complaints.
h) Inapplicable
't
Inapplicable.
9
DATED
10
THIS loth
day of
April
,2015.
L1
I2
13
74
15
16
1'7
18
19
20
2L
22
23
24
/sAdam Watters
Adam Watters, Justice of the Peace, Pima County
Signed electronically
FILEE)
APR
2I 20ls
STATE OF ARIZONA
Judge
Watters
Respondent,
STIPULATED FACTS
)
)
)
)
1.
pursuant to Article 6.1, $ 4 of the Arizona Constitution and the Rules of the
Commission.
2.
Part-time justice of the peace, Iate 2000 or early 2001 through May 6, 2008;
Full-time justice of the peace, May 6, 2008 through December 31, 2008;
'
3.
4.
the peace, he was also a licensed Arizona attorney engaging in the private practice of
Iaw.
5.
a law
6.
7.
8.
Exhibit
9.
judicial robe.
Watters, "Adam W Watters is o former full time Judge and actiue Judge Pro Tem in
the Arizona Court systen't.."
10.
Both the photograph of Judge Watters in his judicial robe and the
language quoted
three weeks.
Dated this 29th day of April, 2015.
By:
EXHIBIT
Page 2
of3
20I4-165
DePaul UniversitY
University of Arizona,
Languages:
Member and
. United States
. Ninth Circuit
. United States Di
. Arizona
. Arizona Su
. Arizona Trial
. Association of T
. American Bar
. Arizona Women
Pima CountY
ln addition to her
continues its ongoing
Adam W. Wafters is
Adam is an
Law, Products Liabili
Arizona State
University of
Member and
. United States
. Ninth Circuit
. United States
Court
of Appeals
Court
Court
rts
Association
Lawyers of America
rs Association
Association
practice, Andrea is the proud mother of her daughter, Charlotte. Her firm
of breast cancar research.
6iffigeandactiveJudgeProTemintheArizonaCourtsystem.
Law Degree
Court
of Appeals
ict Court
Court
Courts
http//www.watterslaw
About-the-AttorneY
s.
htm
51712014
State of Arizona
COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT
Disposition of Complaint 14-165
Judge:
Adam W. Watters
Complainants: