Welcome to the Bench
Welcome to the Bench – June 2021

Congratulations to the following 61 judges who are either new to the bench or have recently been elected, appointed or hired for a new position.

Kimberly Bibb, Second Judicial Circuit, Division 8, Paragould, AR
Mary Broadaway, Second Judicial Circuit, Division 7, Paragould AR
Scott Ellington, Second Judicial Circuit, Division 12, Jonesboro, AR
Skip Mooney, Second Judicial Circuit, Division 5, Jonesboro, AR
Mark Pate, Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court, Division II, Searcy, AR
Chris Thyer, Second Judicial Circuit, Division 3, Jonesboro, AR
Dawn Walton, Criminal Department, Maricopa County, AZ
Kathryn Kurtz, Arvada Municipal Court, Arvada, CO
Alex Myers, District Court, Denver, CO
Robert H. Robinson Jr., Superior Court, Dover, DE
Paul K. Cook, State Court of Toombs County, Vidalia, GA
Elizabeth Emery (Libby) Coolidge, State Court of Chatham County, Savannah, GA
Judge Veronica H. Cope, State Court of Gwinnett County, Snellville, GA 
Thomas E. Hatfield, State Court of Ware County, Waycross, GA
Wesley T. Leonard, State Court of Troup County, LaGrange, GA
Vincent Lotti, State Court of Henry County, McDonough, GA
Danielle Roberts, State Court of Henry County, McDonough, GA   
Diana M. Simmons, State Court of Cobb County, Marietta, GA
Erica L. Tisinger, State Court of Carroll County, Carrollton, GA
Derek J. White, State Court of Chatham County, Pooler, GA
Lori Goodwin, Family Court, 30th Judicial District, Louisville, KY
Maureen Gottlieb, 17th Circuit Court, Kent County, MI
Scott Noto, 17th Circuit Court, Kent County, MI
Amanda Sterkenburg, 62B District Court, Kentwood, MI
Tracy Van den Bergh, Washtenaw Trial Court, Ann Arbor, MI
David Stofferahn, Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals, MN
Deborah Sundquist, Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals, MN
David Cole, 39th Judicial Circuit Court, Monett, MO
Mathew Kasper, 39th Judicial Circuit Court, Monett, MO
Patricia J. Smith, Probate/Juvenile Court, Portage County, OH
Jeffrey Carpenter, Court of Appeals, Raleigh, NC
Fred Gore, Court of Appeals, Raleigh, NC
Jefferson Griffin, Court of Appeals, Raleigh, NC
Darren Jackson, Court of Appeals, Raleigh, NC
April Wood, Court of Appeals, Raleigh, NC
Amy Mastin, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department M, Clark County, NV
Heidi E. Almase, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department X, Clark County, NV
Soonhee “Sunny” Bailey, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department I, Clark County, NV
Erika Ballou, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 24, Clark County, NV
Veronica Barisich, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 4, Clark County, NV
Dedree Butler, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department J, Clark County, NV
Stephanie A. Charter, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department Y, Clark County, NV   
Christy Craig, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 32, Clark County, NV
Nadin Cutter, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department T, Clark County, NV
Crystal Lyn Eller, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 19, Clark County, NV
Carli Lynn Kierny, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 2, Clark County, NV
Nadia Krall, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 4, Clark County, NV
Jasmin D. Lilly-Spells, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 23, Clark County, NV
Michele “Shell” Mercer, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department Z, Clark County, NV
Tara Clark Newberry, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 21, Clark County, NV
Mary Perry, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department P, Clark County, NV
Jessica Peterson, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 8, Clark County, NV
Margaret E. Pickard, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department V, Clark County, NV
Dawn R. Throne, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department U, Clark County, NV  
Monica Trujillo, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 3, Clark County, NV
Stacy Rocheleau, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department W, Clark County, NV
Bita Yeager, Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 1, Clark County, NV
Linda Rekas Sloan, Superior Court, Providence, RI
Fa’amomoi Masaniai, District Court King County, WA
Maxine White, Court of Appeals, District 1, WI
Larry Lawton, Municipal Court, Thayne, WY

Know of a new judge (of any kind) we’ve missed? Let us know with an email to njc-communications@judges.org. Please include an email address for the person so we can verify.

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