The Clerk of the Superior Court holds the official records, trust funds, and operational machinery of one of the nation’s largest county trial-court systems. That job has to be done with integrity, not just competence.
The ethical framework that governs the Clerk’s Office
The Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court is an administrative officer of the Arizona Judicial Branch and an elected official under Article 6 of the Arizona Constitution. The office and the people who work in it are already bound by a robust, layered set of ethics frameworks:
- Arizona Code of Conduct for Clerks of Superior Court (ACJA § 1-308) — the specific code governing the Clerk’s office and its operations.
- Arizona Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees (ACJA § 1-303) — covers impartiality, integrity, avoiding the appearance of impropriety, political-activity restrictions, gifts, outside employment, and confidential information.
- Arizona Code of Judicial Administration — administrative rules governing court operations and public records.
- A.R.S. Title 38, Chapter 3 — Arizona’s public-officer conflict-of-interest statutes.
- A.R.S. § 38-444 — restrictions on gifts to public officers and employees.
- A.R.S. Title 39, Chapter 1 — Arizona’s Public Records Law.
- Maricopa County Employee Code of Conduct — county-level rules that apply to office staff alongside the judicial-branch rules.
Together these frameworks set the standard. Jeff Dial will operate the Clerk’s Office in full compliance with each.
Jeff Dial’s commitment
Jeff’s campaign tagline is Integrity. Honesty. Professionalism. Those aren’t marketing words. They are operational commitments to:
- Faithful compliance with the Arizona Code of Conduct for Clerks (ACJA § 1-308) and every other framework above.
- Strict separation of political activity from official duties — no campaign work on county time, in county offices, or using county resources.
- Conflict-of-interest discipline consistent with A.R.S. Title 38, Chapter 3 — recusal where required by law.
- Faithful compliance with the gift restrictions in A.R.S. § 38-444 — no exceptions for vendors, attorneys, or anyone else with business before the office.
- Respect for the constitutional separation between the Clerk and the Court — the Clerk is separately elected for a reason, and records management has to answer to voters, not to judges.
- Equal, prompt service to every records requestor — same diligence regardless of who is asking.
Jeff’s commitments as a candidate
The conduct of a candidate for a judicial-branch-adjacent office reflects on the courts as a whole. During the campaign, Jeff has committed to:
- No promises of specific outcomes. Jeff will not promise to favor or disfavor any party, attorney, or interest group in office records management.
- Accuracy in campaign communications. The campaign will not make claims about Jeff’s record, opponents, or the office that cannot be verified.
- Compliant campaign finance reporting. Every required report will be filed on time. The committee — Jeff Dial for Clerk of the Superior Court — is registered and current with Maricopa County.
Raising an ethics concern
If you have a concern about the conduct of the campaign:
- Email: info@jeffdial.org
- Phone: (480) 203-9616
For concerns about the current Clerk’s Office or any judicial-branch employee:
- Arizona Supreme Court — Commission on Judicial Conduct: azcourts.gov/cjc
- Maricopa County Attorney’s Office — Public Integrity Bureau
- Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide: azoca.gov