PHOENIX — Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens, who notably presided over the infamous murder trial of Jodi Arias in 2013, will be stepping down from the judicial bench by the end of August.
Stephens announced her retirement from Superior Court on Thursday after a 20-year career of overseeing the Valley's criminal, civil, and family court cases.
Stephens came under the national media spotlight when she spent months managing the notorious criminal case of 41-year-old Jodi Arias.
Arias was convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, at his home in Mesa in 2008. She was found guilty by a jury and is currently serving a life sentence without the chance of parole.
Arias' lawyers criticized Judge Stephens for allowing their client's trial to be turned into a "circus" by permitting the media to cover nearly every moment of the proceedings.
Shortly after the jury announced Arias' guilty verdict, a huge crowd of spectators could be heard cheering outside the courthouse.
The case attracted national attention and has gone on to become the subject of several documentaries and a made-for-television movie.
Prosecutors were forced to conduct a retrial for the penalty portion of Arias' conviction and Stephens prohibited television cameras from coming into the courtroom during the retrial.
Judge Stephens additionally presided over the famous case of Brittany Zamora, the sixth-grade teacher from Goodyear who pleaded guilty to having sexual relations with one of her students.
Stephens sentenced Zamora to 20 years in prison.
A graduate of Arizona State University, Stephens started her legal career as a prosecutor for the Arizona Attorney General's Office, where she handled complex cases involving white-collar crime and securities fraud.
She was appointed to the bench in 2001 and has served on the State Bar Criminal Rules Committee and the Judicial Ethics Advisory Board.
“Judge Stephens’ work ethic, demeanor, professionalism, and knowledge of the law make her a model judicial officer," said Presiding Judge Joseph Welty. "Her 20 years of service to the court have been an extraordinary benefit to our court customers, the lawyers before her, and her colleagues."
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
