Longtime Yuma judge seeking 4th term on Superior Court bench
Yuma County Superior Court Judge John Paul Plante has announced that he is seeking re-election for what will be his fourth term on the Division 2 bench seat he has held the past 11 years.
Prior to his election, he served from 1999 until 2006 as a full time Superior Court judge pro tem, which gives him nearly 19 years of experience serving residents of Yuma County.
“I’m honored to serve Yuma County and its fine residents. I hope my experience and demeanor will allow voters to again trust me as their judge,” Plante said. “I like my job. I’m blessed to have it. I feel like I’m benefiting the community by making the decisions I do, and being careful about it.”
Although he collected signatures during the Yuma County Fair, Plante says he still wants to meet as many people as possible, so he is going door-to-door during his campaign introducing himself to people and asking for their vote.
“It is something you would never do unless you are campaigning, but I found out that I enjoy it,” Plante said. “I feel an obligation to listen to people so they can tell me what is on their minds, and actually see who I am.”
Plante said he is committed to the county having an equitable court system and pledged to work hard for Yuma County residents to apply the law fairly to everyone who appears before him.
He went on to say that his main goal is to see that all parties before his court are permitted to be fully heard, so that no one ever feels that they were not afforded a full and fair opportunity to present their case.
“Sometimes that is very difficult because these issues are the most important things in their lives. You have to understand that, for the people who appear before us, it is a really big deal to them,” Plante said. “They don’t come every day. It is an unusual event for them, and they are highly emotional. My objective is to keep them calm and relaxed so I can get the information out of them that I need to make the best decision according to the law.”
He was first elected in 2006 and ran successfully for re-election in both 2010 and 2014. Through the years Plante has held almost every judicial assignment within the court system. He has previously been the presiding juvenile judge, had a criminal calendar, and has done probate, mental health, and guardianships along with child support and custody cases.
He currently oversees the grand jury, which he said he finds “very satisfying,” and handles most of the county’s divorces, child custody, and visitation cases as well as a good percentage of the civil cases.
Prior to serving on the bench, Plante was a lawyer in private practice for 22 years. He came to Yuma in early 1978 and has been here ever since.
Plante lives with his wife, Maria, and has two children and a new grandchild. His daughter, Mary Plante, is an English teacher in the Phoenix area, but is frequently in Yuma visiting. His son, Jeremy, is in the U.S. Border Patrol and recently moved back to Yuma with his family.
The judge’s interests include economics, government, swimming, reading, and theater. He is a referee for high school swimming and for USA swimming. He also is an honorary lifetime member of Yuma Community Theater.
In addition to being a member of the Arizona State Bar Association and the Yuma County Bar Association, Plante graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 1971, where he majored in economics. He received his law degree from the University of Arizona in 1916, where he graduated with high distinction.
This year’s primary election will take place in August, with the general election in November.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.