The judge originally assigned to the Dibor Roberts felony flight case is retiring.
Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Janis A. Sterling announced she will retire Friday, March 14, after nearly two decades on the bench.
The preliminary hearing in the Roberts case set for Monday, Feb. 4, was postponed as a result, stated Merrill Roberts, Dibor Roberts’ husband.
The judge originally assigned to the Dibor Roberts felony flight case is retiring.
Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Janis A. Sterling announced she will retire Friday, March 14, after nearly two decades on the bench.
The preliminary hearing in the Roberts case set for Monday, Feb. 4, was postponed as a result, stated Merrill Roberts, Dibor Roberts’ husband.
“The Prescott court date [Monday, Feb. 4] has been canceled and the case moved to [the] Verde Valley. We are now waiting for a new date,” Merrill Roberts wrote in an e-mail.
Sterling was first appointed in 1987 and later elected as a judge of Division 3 in 1994. She has been re-elected every four years since 1994, according to her official biography posted on Yavapai County’s Web site.
“During her judicial tenure, she has handled every type of case over which the superior court has jurisdiction, including felony criminal, civil, domestic relations, probate, mental health, and juvenile matters,” the Web site states.
Sterling is presently assigned to hear felony criminal matters at the county courthouse in Prescott.
Prior to 1994, Sterling had her own law firm, practicing in the areas of domestic relations, estate administration, real estate transactions, litigation, appeals and adoptions.
She served as a faculty member at the National Judicial College, University of Nevada at Reno, and has been a frequent presenter at Arizona State Bar conferences, Supreme Court programs for judges and various professional associations, the Web site stated.
Sterling was born, raised and educated in Phoenix. She received both her undergraduate degree and her Juris Doctorate degree from Arizona State University School of Law.
Gov. Janet Napolitano announced she will appoint a new judge to the Superior Court of Yavapai County, according to the governor’s press office.
Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4. A list of applicants will then be announced, with public comment accepted until Friday, Feb. 15.
A final selection will be made in early March, the governor’s press office stated.
A copy of the application and instructions for applying can be downloaded from www.azgovernor.gov.
— Greg Ruland
Larson Newspapers
