The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has named attorney DesaRae Tucker as the new Justice of the Peace for the North Valley Justice Precinct. The precinct covers areas within Supervisorial Districts 3 and 4, stretching from north of Glendale to Anthem.
Supervisor Debbie Lesko, representing District 4, said, “Judge Tucker’s commitment to serving the residents of Maricopa County make her a logical choice for this position. I am particularly grateful for her contributions in my district as Advisory Counsel for the City of Glendale and as Public Defender for the City of Litchfield Park. Her determination, impartiality, and service mindset are tremendous assets, and I wish Judge Tucker the best as she steps into this very important role. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Gerald Williams for over 20 years of dedicated service as Justice of the Peace for the North Valley Justice Precinct.”
Tucker’s background includes serving as Judge Pro Tempore in both Maricopa County Superior Court and Maricopa County Justice Court. She has also worked as a Deputy County Attorney at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and served in the United States Coast Guard as a firefighter. Her academic credentials include a Juris Doctor from Phoenix School of Law, a Master of Business from Western International University, and a Bachelor of Science from University of Phoenix.
Justices of the Peace in Arizona are elected officials responsible for presiding over cases such as traffic violations, small claims, evictions, and civil matters up to $10,000 within their assigned precincts.
According to state law, candidates must match their predecessor’s party affiliation—in this case Republican—reside within the precinct boundaries, and be registered voters in Arizona. Tucker will serve until December 31, 2026.
Recent educational data shows challenges facing Maricopa County students: In 2022-23, 62.9% of students in grades 3 through 8 did not pass mathematics on statewide assessments https://www.azed.gov/, while high schoolers had a failure rate of 65% on ACT math sections https://www.azed.gov/. For English assessments that same year, failure rates were 57.2% among grades 3-8 https://www.azed.gov/ and 57% among high schoolers https://www.azed.gov/. In more recent results from the following school year (2023-24), there was some improvement with about one-third (33.9%) passing high school ACT math https://www.azed.gov/ and roughly 36% passing math assessments in grades three through eight https://www.azed.gov/.
Supervisor Lesko’s public remarks about Tucker’s appointment can be viewed online.
