On Sept. 24 the Glendale City Council unanimously appointed Chad Heywood to be a City Judge in Glendale City Court, starting Oct. 16.

Heywood has diverse experience as a judge and an attorney in Glendale and around the state.  He has served as Glendale’s court hearing officer since January and has also been appointed as a Judge Pro Tempore for the Glendale City Court since July 2024.

“With the opportunity that I had to be a Judge Pro Tem, I saw the culture Glendale had and it was an environment I wanted to be in,” Heywood stated in a press release. “One of the biggest things I plan to focus on is making sure everyone has equal access to justice and has the ability to be heard and present what they want to in the court.”

A graduate of Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, Heywood worked as an attorney managing firm operations and leading criminal defense, civil traffic, personal injury and estate planning cases at Riggs, Ellsworth & Porter Law Firm in Apache Junction.

He served as Deputy County Attorney in the Pinal County Attorney’s Office in Florence from 2016 to 2019, where he conducted numerous felony and DUI trials. Heywood also worked as a legal extern in the city of Mesa Prosecutor’s Office and later as an adjunct professor teaching legal classes at Grand Canyon University from 2018 to 2023.

He said he is passionate about helping people through Glendale Mental Health Court, which aims to assist people who have mental illnesses and/or developmental disabilities in the resolution of their criminal cases.

“I’m proud to welcome Judge Chad Heywood to the Glendale City Court and the reappointment of Judge Jack Pritt,” stated Glendale Mayor Jerry P. Weiers. “Under the leadership of Presiding Judge Nicholas DiPiazza, our court system is stronger than ever, and I am grateful for the dedicated judges who serve our city.”

The Glendale City Court, is part of the Arizona Judicial System, is the Judicial Branch of the Glendale City Government.  The court issues protective orders and has the authority to issue search warrants for felonies and misdemeanors. To learn about Glendale City Court, visit City Court | City of Glendale, AZ