Judge Elaissia Sears of West Mesa, AZ; slacker, scofflaw

The Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct found Judge Sears guilty of engaging in the following misconduct.

• Failed to act with due diligence (slacker)
• Repeatedly tardy for court proceedings
• Frequently failed to issue timely rulings
• Used pro tem judges to clear her docket
• Frequently absent from the court during normal court hours when no matters were on the calendar and p
• Performed weddings during court hours for cash
• For a period brought her dog to court
• Several court employees complained that the dog was disruptive, posed a safety hazard, and urinated in the courthouse
• In repeated failures to issue timely rulings, she often had several hundred matters pending resolution
• Failed to act in manner promoting public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary
• Violated Arizona law by charging and accepting a fee for performing wedding ceremonies during court hours

As a direct consequence of her misconduct, the enablers sitting on the Commission on Judicial Conduct punished Judge Sears by gifting her with a complimentary reprimand.

As we speak (ca. April 2022), Elaissia practices her so-called brand of jurisprudence as a Justice of the Peace of the West Mesa Justice Court in Mesa, Arizona.