2 new commissioners appointed to Pima County Superior Court in Tucson

Sarah Lapidus, Arizona Republic
Updated ·1 min read

The Arizona Superior Court in Pima County appointed two new commissioners to fill two vacancies, the court announced this week.

Michael Vampotic and Nathan Wade will replace Judges Randi Burnett, who is a Superior Court judge, and Deborah Pratte, who retired, the announcement said Wednesday.

Superior Court commissioners are recommended by a selection committee before appointment by presiding judges and handle specific assigned cases and uncontested matters. Vampotic and Wade were appointed by Pima County Presiding Judge Jeffrey Bergin and Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Michael Butler.

Michael Vampotic is one of two attorneys appointed to be commissioner of the Arizona Superior Court in Pima County.
Michael Vampotic is one of two attorneys appointed to be commissioner of the Arizona Superior Court in Pima County.

“We are excited Michael and Nathan will be joining the bench soon. They will be great additions to our court,” Bergin said in a Pima County Superior Court news release.

Both commissioners graduated from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.

Vampotic is an attorney and unit mentor at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and represents the Arizona Department of Child Safety in dependency hearings. He previously worked with the Pima County’s Office of Children’s Counsel, and was often appointed to be a family law “Best-Interest Attorney,” or guardian ad litem in juvenile delinquency cases, according to the news release.

Nathan Wade is one of two attorneys appointed to be commissioner of the Arizona Superior Court in Pima County.
Nathan Wade is one of two attorneys appointed to be commissioner of the Arizona Superior Court in Pima County.

Wade is a deputy public defender and senior attorney in Pinal County. He was previously an assistant public defender in Pima County and created the position of Legislative Advocate for the agency.

He lectures about criminal justice reform and the legislative process for a variety of organizations, including Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, League of Women Voters and Greater Phoenix Leadership.

Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 2 new commissioners appointed to Pima County Superior Court in Tucson