New Pima County Superior Court commissioners named

Two attorneys that will be filling the court commissioner vacancies, the Pima County Superior Court has announced.

After interviewing seven candidates for the positions and asking for public input, Pima County Presiding Judge Jeffrey Bergin and Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Michael Butler announced Michael J. Vampotic and Nathan T. Wade as the new commissioners to the Superior Court, a news release said.

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

Vampotic and Wade will fill the vacancies created by Randi Burnett, who is being moved up to a judge in Superior Court, and Deborah Pratte, who is retiring.

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Vampotic is an attorney, team leader and unit member at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, representing the Arizona Department of Child Safety in dependency proceedings. He has also worked with the Pima County’s Office of Children’s Counsel, the news release said.

Wade is a deputy public defender and senior attorney in Pinal County where he supervises a trial caseload and advocates for statewide criminal justice reform. Before working in Pinal County, he was an assistant public defender in Pima County, the news release said.

A court commissioner works in either the Superior or Juvenile Court complex and are assigned to cases that involve family law, child support and enforcement, probate and guardianship, juvenile law, protection orders and civil mental health matters, a previous news release said.