Governor Jan Brewer on Monday appointed municipal court judge Karl Eppich to the Pinal County Superior Court.
“Karl is well-respected and brings more than 20 years of diverse public sector and private practice legal experience,” said Governor Brewer. “I’m confident he will be a valuable asset to Pinal County and its citizens.”
Eppich has been a municipal court judge in Mesa since 2000, a position to which he was reappointed unanimously in 2013. He previously served as staff attorney for the Arizona Court of Appeals (1997-98; 1999-2000); judge pro tempore for the Phoenix Municipal Court and Tempe Municipal Court (1999-2000); associate with Mangum, Wall, Stoops & Warden (1998-99); deputy county attorney for Apache County (1994-97); and an associate at Lewis and Roca (1992-94).
As a municipal court judge, Eppich primarily handles cases involving misdemeanor criminal matters and civil injunctions against harassment. He previously prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases and has experience in insurance and municipal defense, education, employment and administrative law and commercial and tort litigation. Additional prior work includes serving as a deputy Los Angeles County sheriff (1988-89) and United States Army military police sergeant (1983-86), which earned him a Commendation Medal, Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Good Conduct Medal and Army of Occupation Medal.
Since 2002, Eppich has been a member of the Arizona Magistrates Association, serving as president (2010-13) and vice president (2008-10). He also was a member of the State Bar Appointments Committee (2004-10) and Criminal Practice and Procedure Committee (1997-2002). He is a faculty member at New Judge Orientation and volunteers with Feed My Starving Children.
Eppich received his Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School (1992) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Irvine, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude (1988). He has been appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Robert Carter Olson.
