Another Pearce out of office: Lester Pearce resigns from office

For the first time in 15 years, brothers Lester and Russell Pearce are out of elected office at the same time.

Both are attempting to win office in November (Russell, state senate; Lester, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors), but until then, the amount of bs and hatred spewed into the atmosphere by AZ's elected officials by a huge middling OK, a tiny amount.

Russell was removed from the senate by a now-legendary recall vote in November; his brother Lester resigned from the office of North Mesa Justice of the Peace on Monday in order to pursue a run at the East Valley seat on the MCBOS.

From the press release announcing the resignation -

Lester Pearce, Presiding Judge of the Maricopa County Justice Courts, has announced his resignation from the Justice Courts Bench. In his resignation letter to the Board of Supervisors, effective at midnight tonight, Judge Pearce cited Rule 4.5 of the Arizona Code of Judicial Conduct, which states that a judge shall resign from judicial office upon becoming a candidate for a non-judicial elective office.

"It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Maricopa County as a Justice of the Peace for the past 15 plus years," said Judge Pearce. "I have enjoyed my role in providing justice at the level closest to the people. However, as I will be announcing my candidacy for another elected position, I unfortunately must resign as the North Mesa Justice of the Peace."

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Associate Presiding Judge Clancy Jayne will assume the duties of the Presiding Judge.

There are 25 justice courts in Maricopa County that hear a combined caseload of more than 400,000 cases each year, including civil lawsuits where the amount in dispute is $10,000 or less, landlord and tenant controversies, small claims cases and civil and criminal traffic offenses, including DUIs. Justices of the Peace also resolve other types of misdemeanor allegations and handle requests for orders of protection and injunctions against harassment.

While both Pearces are running in R-heavy districts where the winner of the Republican nomination is likely to win the general election, both face formidable opponents in the Republican primary.