Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award
Recognizing that criminal law prosecutor who has worked tirelessly to advance the principles of criminal justice by representing the public’s interest with integrity, fairness, tenacity, creativity, brilliance and, above all, professionalism. (Award established 3/17/06)
2021 Recipient
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Kent Volkmer went from a private practice representing clients in civil, criminal, dependency, divorce, juvenile, guardianship, mental health, and probate matters to the elected leader of the Pinal County Attorney’s Office with the promise to create a system of individualized justice and to treat all people with fairness and respect. Since taking office in January of 2017, Kent has helped lead Pinal County to a significant reduction in the number of people annually placed in jail and sentenced to prison, while simultaneously seeing a dramatic, year over year, reduction in crime. By assessing the person, not the crime, eliminating the one size fits all justice system mantra, and ensuring the consequences are proportionate to the offense, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Kent, has become a state leader in the fight to be smarter on crime. By collaborating with the county’s criminal justice partners, Kent has demonstrated that a collaborative, logic-based approach to assessing and addressing crime leaves a community both safer and stronger. |
Previous Recipients
The award has been presented to:
| 2006 | Rick A. Unklesbay |
| 2007 | Paul K. Charlton |
| 2008 | Daniel G. Knauss Kathleen A. Mayer |
| 2009 | Barbara LaWall |
| 2010 | Sandra M. Hansen |
| 2011 | Beth A. Anderson |
| 2012 | Sheila Polk |
| 2013 | Hon. Randall M. Howe Hon. Kent Cattani |
| 2014 | Theodore Campagnolo |
| 2015 | Kellie L. Johnson |
| 2016 | James Alan Goodwin |
| 2017 | Hon. John S. Leonardo |
| 2018 | Kimberly H. Ortiz |
| 2019 | Ryan P. Green |
| 2020 | Bill R. Hughes |
| 2021 | Kent Volkmer |
State Bar Annual Awards
- Award of Appreciation
- Award of Special Merit
- Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award
- Hon. John R. Sticht Disability Achievement Award
- James A. Walsh Outstanding Jurist Award
- Member of the Year Award
- Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award
- Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year Award
- President's Award
- Sharon A. Fullmer Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award
- Tom Karas Criminal Justice Award