Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Justice of the Peace?

Justices of the Peace are elected to four-year terms and serve as judges in the Pima County Consolidated Justice Court. Because they are judges, they preside over a number of different types of cases. These can include cases like:

• "Small Claims" cases: civil disputes where the amount involved is less than $10,000

• Orders of Protection and Emergency Orders of Protection

• Traffic matters

• Criminal misdemeanor hearings (including DUIs, Domestic Violence cases, Thefts, and Assaults to name just a few)

• Felony preliminary or probable cause hearings

Justices of the Peace are also required to review applications for search and arrest warrants. This serves as a check and balance on law enforcement overreaching.

Regardless of the type of case involved, Justices of the Peace deal with people. Those people have stories and, regardless of the type of case involved or their role in it, deserve to be treated fairly, compassionately, and with integrity. As a Justice of the Peace, Michael Buglewicz would do just that. He will listen. He will follow the law. And he will be fair.

These cases also require someone to know the law and to enforce it. This requires the judge to serve as the last line of defense for an individual's rights. For instance, in criminal cases, the Justice of the Peace must protect both a victim's Constitutional rights and a defendant's Constitutional rights. After spending 35 years protecting the community, Mike Buglewicz knows the law and how important it is to ensure that the rights of everyone in the courtroom are defended and protected.

His experience has also taught him that there is no "one size fits all" approach to justice. At the end of the day, the justice system works to protect the community's safety while also attempting to rehabilitate offenders to reduce the chance they will commit more crimes in the future. At the same time, a judge must uphold the law. Mike Buglewicz believes this can be done while treating people fairly and compassionately with decisions that serve justice.

Why should I vote for Michael Buglewicz?