White Tank Justice Court

The White Tank Justice Court is a court of limited jurisdiction, meaning it handles civil cases involving less than $10,000, civil and criminal traffic violations, and misdemeanors. If you receive a ticket from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office or Arizona Department of Public Safety inside the Court’s precinct, your case will be handled here.

This Court has a very large precinct, encompassing the northern tip of State Route 85 as well as a long stretch of the I-10 west of Phoenix. The precinct includes the towns of Buckeye, Litchfield Park, and Goodyear.

CDL And Speed-Related Violations Are Common In White Tank Justice Court

This court covers a large section of I-10, and part of SR-85 which connects I-10 to I-8. As a result, the vast majority of cases we see in this court originated from a stop on one of these highways. We see a lot of excessive speed matters in this court, as well as violations commited in commercial motor vehicles.

An issue we run into in this court with respect to CDL cases is a misunderstanding of “masking“. I want to be clear this is not an issue with the court or the judge, but rather the Maricopa County Attorney’s Offcie who prosecutes cases in this court. As a general rule, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office doesn’t grasp the concept of masking. Whereas in other counties we can often negotiate an improved plea agreement with the prosecution, in this court the prosecution generally will not negotiate because they mistakenly believe that negotiation = masking. It does not.

White Tank Justice Court’s Judge

Justice of the Peace Heidi Owens was appointed in 2021. Judge Owens is unusual among justices of the peace in that she is actually an attorney. Believe it or not, in Arizona a justice of the peace does not have to have any legal training, or even any particular education at all to be a justice. So in this regard, Judge Owens is well-equipped to understand and administer the law.

Prior to becoming a justice of the peace, Judge Owens worked for the Arizona Attorney General’s office as Unit Chief Counsel for the Civil and Crimina and Litigation Advice Section.