APAAC Council

Dave Byers was appointed Administrative Director of the Courts in 1992.  Dave has been with the Supreme Court since 1978 holding a variety of positions including Director of the State Foster Care Review Board System, Director of the Program Services Division, Director of Adult and Juvenile Probation, and Deputy Director of the Supreme Court.

As Director, he assists in the oversight and administration of a court system that employs 10,000 people and operates in more than 200 locations, processes more than 2.6 million cases per year; supervises 42,000 adult felons on probation; and has a combined budget from all courts in excess of $550 million dollars.  The Supreme Court also oversees the State Bar of Arizona and the discipline process for the State’s 15,000 plus attorneys.

He received his B.A. degree in Iowa and his M.A. degree from Arizona State University.  He has served as the President of the National Association of Foster Care Reviewers, as Founder of the Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation, and as the Chairman of the Board of the State’s Social Services Indemnity Pool.  He served as president of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) and as Vice President of the National Center for State Courts, he serves on the Department of Justice – Global Advisory Commission, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, the Board of Directors of the Arizona Prosecuting Attorney’s Advisory Council, and the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Arizona. He is currently Vice-chair of the Board of Trustees of the state’s $27B retirement system

He is married to Linda, a 3rd grade school teacher, and they have three grown children and two grandchildren.

Brad Carlyon’s legal career began with the regional law firm Streich, Lang (now known as Quarles & Brady, Streich Lang) as a litigator. Brad acted as collection counsel for a number of state financial institutions including First Interstate Bank of Arizona (now known as Wells Fargo Bank of Arizona) and Valley National Bank of Arizona (now known as Chase Bank of Arizona).  Brad also worked on complex civil litigation cases involving lender liability, defamation, and professional liability. Brad also was a partner in the Pinetop law firm of Higgins, Carlyon and Shaffery where Brad’s practice emphasized business and contract law.

Brad has served as a Chief Deputy County Attorney in Apache County and as a Deputy County Attorney in Navajo County.  His responsibilities have included criminal, civil and juvenile law. Over the years, Brad has consistently maintained a high conviction rate while prosecuting the most serious and complex cases.  Brad has been nominated for Arizona Prosecutor of the Year numerous times.

Besides bringing his public and private law practice experience to the office of Navajo County Attorney, Brad also brings a perspective from the bench.  Brad served as a Navajo County Superior Court Judge pro tem for more than three years.

Brad’s roots are in northern Arizona—raised in Payson, he attended Northern Arizona University where he obtained a degree in business administration-finance. After graduating from NAU, Brad worked for the Arizona State Legislature as a Research Economist Intern for the House Appropriations Committee. After the legislative session ended, Brad worked for the United States House of Representatives for an Arizona Congressman as a District Field Representative. The congressional district included Navajo and Apache counties.

Brad attended the University of Arizona College of Law where he graduated magna cum laude and served as Managing Editor of the Arizona Law Review.  During law school Brad received numerous honors including the Outstanding Editor and the Rosenberg Distinguished Editor awards from the Arizona Law Review.  Brad was able to achieve academic success and honors during law school even though he worked to support his family.

Brad has lived in Navajo County for sixteen years.  He is married to Anna and has three children—Tiffany, Thadeus and Arius.

Aarón J. Carreón-Aínsa obtained his J.D. degree from Arizona State as well as his Political Science degree, but studied also at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and George Washington University in the District of Columbia.  He is fluent in Spanish and worked on justice projects in El Salvador and Guatemala.

In January of 1979, Aarón became a member of the Prosecutor's Office. Since that time, he served as Chief Assistant City Prosecutor, Chief of the Appeals Bureau, the Charging Bureau, and the Special Prosecutions Bureau.

In 1996, Aarón founded the Community Prosecution Bureau.  Community Prosecution seeks to build community with neighborhoods, other governmental entities, especially police and neighborhood services departments, and non-governmental organizations in a long-term, problem-solving approach.  Aarón was recognized as Prosecutor of the Year in 1989-90.

In 2007, he became Phoenix’s eighth City Prosecutor. The mission of the Prosecutor’s Office can be summed up in, “Seeking justice, building community, making Phoenix better.”

Aarón has been a lecturer for the Arizona Supreme Court’s training of judges and law related education for teachers, the National District Attorneys Association Community Prosecution Center, the State Bar of Arizona, the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council, and the International Municipal Lawyers Association.  Aarón is the Co-Author of Arizona Appellate Handbook, “Justice and Municipal Court Criminal and Traffic Appeals,” 1993.

Jon Eliason is the Mesa City Prosecutor.  He was appointed to head the Mesa City Prosecutor's Office in January of 2012.  Mesa is a great place to live, work, study, and recreate. Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona and the 38th largest in the United States. Mesa City Prosecutor's Office handles over 22,000 criminal cases a year with a wide variety of offenses including domestic violence and DUI offenses. 

Jon is a career prosecutor, and previously spent over 11 years with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.  While at MCAO Jon successfully conducted numerous jury trials.  Jon believes that the most important thing a prosecutor can do is seek to be ethical in all aspects of prosecution and to work to improve the quality of life for the community.

Jon has received numerous awards and accommodations for his work.  He has been recognized by the US Attorney's Office, MCAO, the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, and numerous cities throughout Arizona for his work and dedication as a prosecutor.  Jon is a frequent lecturer at schools, police departments, and legal conferences, and teaches for the Arizona Prosecuting Attorney's Advisory Council and the National District Attorney's Association.

Jon received a Bachelor's of Science from Brigham Young University and his JD from Temple Law School.

Baird Greene is a native Tucsonan and proud graduate of the University of Arizona where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in German in 1987 and a Juris Doctorate in 1990.  He worked 15 years at the Pima County Attorney’s Office, both for Steven Neely and Barbara LaWall.  While there he tried over 125 felony cases to verdict, including 20 murder trials.  In addition to doing trial work, he supervised the Misdemeanor, Property Crimes, Violent Offenses and Narcotics Units.  For the next 5 years he was Legal Advisor at the Tucson Police Department, advising approximately 1500 peace officers and police civilian employees on both criminal and civil legal issues.

With 32 prosecutors and 34 support staff, and with an annual caseload of nearly 50,000 cases, his current position, supervising the Tucson City Prosecutor’s Office, has become Baird’s most challenging and most enjoyable endeavor yet.

Baird enjoys scuba diving, fitness and most of all, the company of his two bright and energetic daughters.

In 1996, Barbara LaWall was the first woman to be elected Pima County Attorney.  She is currently serving her fourth term.   Ms. LaWall graduated from The University of Arizona College of Law in 1976 and began her career as a Deputy Pima County Attorney, then served as Chief Criminal Deputy and Chief Deputy before being elected Pima County Attorney.

As Pima County Attorney, tough prosecution, holding criminals accountable, crime prevention, providing quality victim services and running a cost-effective office are her top priorities.

Ms. LaWall is a nationally recognized prosecutor. She is a board member and Past Vice-President of the National District Attorney’s Association. She was elected to chair the Board of Trustees of the American Prosecutors Research Institute, and she is a member of the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI) Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice.  Ms. LaWall also teaches for the National College of District Attorneys and for the District Attorneys National Advocacy Center.

Ms. LaWall serves on the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission and was chair for two years.  In addition, she was appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano to chair the search committee for the Director of the State Department of Corrections and to chair the Governor’s Statewide Methamphetamine Task Force.

She has received the LULAC/FBI 2009 Community Service Award; MADD 2009 Southern Arizona Community Champions Award; Arizona Women’s Political Caucus Tucson Chapter 2009 Mim Morris Women Making History Award; University of Arizona Program in Criminal Law and Policy 2009 Certificate of Appreciation; Arizona State Bar 2009 Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award; 2008 LULAC 19th Annual Youth Leadership Conference – Presidential Citation Community Service Award; National Advocacy Center’s 2008 Distinguished Faculty Award, the National District Attorneys Association’s most prestigious teaching award; 2008 Compass Award - Men’s Anti-Violence Partnership of Southern Arizona; 2008 Law Enforcement Coordinating Council of the U.S. Attorney’s Office (LECC) Ethical Leadership Award; National College of District Attorneys’ 2007 Lecturer of Merit Award; YWCA Women on the Move Award; Arizona State Bar Association, Law Related Education Award; and the Arizona Women’s Lawyer Alice Truman Leadership Award.

Ms. LaWall is a board member of the YWCA-Tucson and an advisory board member of the Pima County Children’s Advocacy Center and Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Tucson.

Bill Montgomery was elected Maricopa County Attorney in 2010 on a pledge to fight crime, honor victims’ rights, and protect and strengthen our community.   As a West Point Graduate, decorated Gulf War Veteran, professional prosecutor and former Deputy County Attorney, he has dedicated his personal and professional life to serving others.

Raised in a single-parent household just south of Los Angeles, Bill learned early the lessons of hard work and perseverance, graduating near the top of his high school class and becoming the first graduate to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.  His leadership style was subsequently tested on the battlefield as a Tank Platoon leader during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where he led missions protecting U.S. operations from Iraqi forces.  He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service for his contribution to the liberation of Kuwait, and was later promoted to the rank of Captain, ultimately rising to the rank of Major while serving in the Individual Ready Reserve.

Following his military service and work in the private sector, Bill earned his J.D. from ASU Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude and receiving the prestigious Order of the Coif.  He went to work for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office where he quickly gained a reputation as an aggressive prosecutor and tireless advocate for victims’ rights, garnering tough sentences for felony drunk drivers, serious repeat felons and gang members.  He also supervised prosecutions in the Auto Theft Bureau, which recorded a 35% drop in auto theft under his leadership.

As County Attorney, Bill is committed to vigorously prosecuting crimes and holding criminals accountable, including crimes associated with illegal immigration.   He is committed to partnering with law enforcement along with business and civic leaders to protect and strengthen our communities, and strongly supports the involvement of local law enforcement in assisting with enforcement of our immigration laws.

Recognizing that violent child sexual predators cannot be rehabilitated, Bill has been an outspoken advocate for life sentences for these offenders.  He also supports GPS monitoring for other convicted child molesters, and Internet sting operations to capture child predators before they get the chance to victimize children.  His goal is to let would-be child predators know they will find no safe haven in Arizona.

Bill is equally determined to fight fraud and identify theft through the County Attorney’s specialized Fraud and Identity Theft Enforcement bureau.  He also supports the Castle Doctrine Law, which recognizes a citizen’s right to defend his or her family without fear of prosecution; and Arizona’s Three Strikes Law, which targets repeat violent criminals.  Bill has helped shape legislation designed to protect victims of crime and reform Child Protective Services, and he continues to be a passionate advocate for Victims Rights in Arizona as Maricopa County Attorney.

Bill currently resides in Gilbert, Arizona with his wife and their children.

Sheila Polk was elected in November of 2000 and is the first female to hold the office of Yavapai County Attorney. She is currently serving her third 4-year term.

A 1982 graduate of ASU Law School, Ms. Polk began her career as a law clerk at the Arizona Supreme Court for Justice Jack D.H. Hays, then served as an Assistant Arizona Attorney General in both the civil and criminal divisions of the office until 1994 when she and her family moved to Prescott. There, Ms. Polk worked as a deputy county attorney in the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office and was awarded the Arizona Outstanding Felony Prosecutor for Small Counties in 2000. Among her accomplishments in office are her work to mobilize the community to proactively address methamphetamine and substance abuse issues, the development of the county’s Early Disposition Court that was awarded the 2004 Arizona Supreme Court Justice For Better Arizona Award, her outreach to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to develop an ethics program for prosecutors titled “Law and Society: Lessons of the Holocaust,” and her establishment of the Northern Arizona Animal Cruelty Task Force.

Ms. Polk is an active member of the Prescott community where she and her husband of 27 years have raised their three sons, all of whom currently attend college in Colorado. Ms. Polk is involved in the Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and mentors a “Little Sister.”

Derek D. Rapier is a fourth generation native of Arizona and Greenlee County and was first elected Greenlee County Attorney in 1996.

After attending Eastern Arizona College, Mr. Rapier graduated with a degree in Business Finance from Brigham Young University in 1989.  He then attended BYU’s J. Rueben Clark Law School, graduating with honors in 1992.  Between graduation and his election Mr. Rapier became licensed in both Arizona and New Mexico, served as a deputy county attorney and ran a successful private law practice.

Mr. Rapier has served as the Chairman of the APAAC since 2007 and is currently serving as the 1st Vice President of the Arizona Association of Counties and beginning in December 2009, he will have the honor of serving as President of that organization.  Mr. Rapier also serves as a member of the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties.

r. Rapier has served locally on the Multidisciplinary Child Abuse Review Team, Police Athletic League Board, Family Advocacy Center Planning Committee, Junior Livestock Board, and economic development committees.  He is also involved with the Boy Scouts of America and various church youth organizations and serves as a lay minister in his church congregation.

Mr. Rapier and his wife Becky are the proud parents of eight children and are most happy when they are following their kids in their many activities.

Ed Rheinheimer is the Cochise county attorney

He was born and raised in Staten Island, New York.

After graduating from high school, Ed enlisted in the navy and served on active duty from 1967 to 1971.

He graduated from Elmira College in Elmira, New York in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature.

Ed went to law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, graduating in 1979 with a Juris Doctor degree.

After law school, Ed received a direct commission as a captain in the U.S. Army and served for six and one-half years as an army jag officer.

Ed left active duty in 1987, but remained in the reserves for the next 14 years, retiring in 2001 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  After leaving active duty, Ed spent five and one-half years in private practice in Sierra Vista before joining the drug unit at the Cochise County Attorney’s Office in 1992.  Ed was elected Cochise County Attorney in November, 2004 and reelected in 2008.

Ed has been married to his wife, Judy, a nurse at the Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, for 34 years.  Ed and Judy have two children, Brenna, 26, a graduate student in cancer biology at the University of Arizona and Paul, 21, a senior at the U of A, majoring in chemical engineering.

Dave is a strong advocate for collaborating with the community on prevention efforts and other types of community service. He has served Coconino County in many capacities over twenty years, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way, Flagstaff Leadership Program, Citizens Against Substance Abuse and the Western Navajo-Hopi Meth Task Force.

Mr. Rozema received a Bachelors Degree in Social Work (Outstanding Graduate) from Arizona State University in 1983, where he also graduated from the College of Law in 1986. He is Past President of the Coconino County Bar Association and is also a licensed attorney with the Navajo Nation, where he previously served as an elected Commissioner with the Navajo Nation Bar Association.

Dave has lived in Arizona for forty-five years. He and his wife Linda moved to Flagstaff in 1988 where they have raised their four daughters.

Tobin C. Sidles is a veteran misdemeanor prosecutor currently working for the Town of Oro Valley, where he has been the Town Prosecutor for over twenty years. Tobin is a 1982 graduate of Northern Arizona University with a Bachelors degree in Psychology, and also a Masters degree in Public Administration. He is a 1985 graduate of the University of Arizona School of Law. He has worked for several jurisdictions as a special prosecutor, handling misdemeanors and felony conflict cases.

Tobin currently resides in Tucson, Arizona with his wife and two children.

Mr. George E. Silva is the Santa Cruz County Attorney and was elected to his post on November of 2004.  As the County Attorney, Mr. Silva prosecutes all felony and juvenile offenses which occur in the County and all misdemeanor offenses which occur in the unincorporated areas of the County.  Moreover, he provides legal advice to the County Board of Supervisors and all the County Departments. In addition, he represents school districts and fire districts within the county.

As the County Attorney, Mr. Silva is an advocate for our youth and is very active in his community with his “You have the Power” campaign.  This campaign empowers our youth and teaches them that only they have the power to make good, healthy choices in life.  Good and healthy choices will allow our youth to realize their dreams, goals, and full potential.

Prior to his election to the County Attorney’s Office, Mr. Silva worked as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Nogales.  He also worked in the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office for approximately five years as a Deputy County Attorney.  As a Deputy County Attorney, he was assigned to the Juvenile Prosecution Division, the Misdemeanor Prosecution Division, and the Drug Enforcement Prosecution Division assigned to the Santa Cruz County Metro Task Force (Narcotics).  As a Drug Prosecutor, he worked on Operation Apache.  Operation Apache consisted of infiltrating the Nogales High School with an undercover police officer pretending to be a student.  The undercover officer was able to identify key drug dealers in the school which resulted in successful prosecutions.  Mr. Silva also worked as a Law Clerk for the City of Tucson Public Defenders Office.  Aside from his work experience, Mr. Silva also enlisted in the United States Army Reserve and served his country for eight years as a Legal Specialist.  He was Honorably Discharges in 1999.

George Silva is a proud graduate of Nogales High School. Upon his graduation from Nogales High School in 1989, he attended Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.   Mr. Silva obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from ASU on May 1994.  He then enrolled in the University of Arizona College of law and obtained his Juris Doctor in Law on May 1997.  Although Mr. Silva attended both ASU and the UofA, he considers himself a proud Sun Devil.

Jon R. Smith has served as the Yuma County Attorney since December of 2004.  From April 2001 until then, he served as the Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney.  From October 1993 until April 2001, Mr. Smith was an associate attorney for Bowman & Smith, P.C., concentrating his practice in civil plaintiff litigation and public practice defense.  He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Cum Laude, were he served as Assistant Editor for Law Review.  He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona.

Mr. Smith was President of the Yuma County Bar Association (2000) and Young Lawyers’ Division (1995), and Chairman of the Yuma County Methamphetamine Coalition (2007).  He also served as Vice President (2007) and President (2008) of the Arizona County Attorneys’ and Sheriffs’ Association.  He is a member the National District Attorneys’ Association and the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Counsel, and a past member of the Arizona Trial Lawyers’ Association and Association of Trial Lawyers of America and has served as co-coordinator for the Arizona State Mock Trial Program for the last decade and continues to assist in the program locally.  Mr. Smith is licensed to practice before the Arizona Supreme Court, the Colorado Supreme Court, the United States District Court, District of Arizona and the United States Supreme Court.

Matt Smith was recommended by former Mohave County Attorney Bill Ekstrom in December of 2003, and unanimously selected by the Mohave County Board of Supervisors to fill out Ekstrom’s unexpired term.  He was elected as Mohave County Attorney in November of 2004, and was re-elected in November, 2008 for a second term.  Matt is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a J.D. in1985 and Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Political Science in 1982.  He moved to Kingman in 1987.  He is married, and he and his wife, Margaret, have two young daughters, Julianna and Bridgette.  Matt began his legal career as a prosecutor with the Mohave County Attorney’s Office 21 years ago and served the community as head of the felony trial division for the last 7 years.  As County Attorney he supervises an office of 21 prosecutors and 5 civil deputies.  He continues to do trial work and specializes in handling death penalty and child molestation cases.

Lando Voyles lives in Pinal County, Arizona, with his wife and two beautiful daughters, Lando Voyles serves as the Pinal County Attorney.

Growing up in rural Texas, Lando Voyles graduated from Weatherford High School, located in Northeast Texas, about thirty minutes from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metro-area.  Lando went on to complete his Bachelor of Arts at Brigham Young University, UT and received his Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law, MN.

After receiving his Juris Doctorate, Lando began working within the Major Crimes Division in the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in 2003.  While there, he consistently carried between 40 and 100 cases, ranging from homicide to dangerous crimes against children to gang related criminal cases.  Among other accomplishments, Lando prosecuted more than 80 felony jury trials, numerous misdemeanor jury and bench trials, presented more than 100 grand jury hearings, and litigated probable cause and probation violation hearings. 

In 2005, Lando began teaching at Mesa Community College, in Arizona.   As an Adjunct Faculty member, he instructs on various topics, including Constitutional Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, and Rules of Evidence.  Further contributing to the community, he joined and volunteers as a Board Member with the Maricopa Police Foundation providing needed equipment and training to the Maricopa Police Department.  Through fundraising and charitable endeavors, the Maricopa Police Foundation assisted in the graffiti abatement program, obtaining bullet proof vests for Officers and K-9 Officers, and supplying various other Police Departmental needs.

Sworn in as the Pinal County Attorney at the end of December 2012, Lando Voyles immediately started working to remove dangerous and sexual criminals from Pinal County through various systematic and strategic changes.  By restructuring to a vertically-structured prosecutorial system, Lando leverages the resources of the Office to work more closely with law enforcement as cases are processed, closely monitor the chain of custody of evidence, and enable prosecutors to oversee cases from crime scene to sentencing.  Additionally by altering the philosophy of the Office of the Pinal County Attorney, Lando also seeks to prosecute individuals suspected in crimes involving mandatory sentencing.  More recently, Lando started exploring various avenues to expedite DNA testing in cases involving individuals with high threat potential removing suspected dangerous and suspected sexual criminals from our streets quicker.

For more information regarding Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles and the changes he makes in his Office to make the neighborhoods of Pinal County safer, contact the Office at 520.866.6271.

Rob Walecki serves as the City Prosecutor for the City of Glendale. He has been with the City Prosecutor's Office for seventeen years. He joined the Office in 1995 as an Assistant City Prosecutor. In 2003 he was promoted to the position of a Senior Assistant City Prosecutor and in 2007 he became the City Prosecutor. Prior to joining the Office he worked for five years at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office trial division as a Deputy County Attorney. He is admitted to practice law in Arizona and Ohio.

Rob was born and grew up in the communist Poland. In the late 1970's he escaped and received Political Asylum in the United States. He graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor degree in History. He received his law degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1990.

Rob lives in Glendale with his wife and two sons.

Michael Whiting is a lifelong resident of Apache County.  Both sides of Mr. Whiting’s family have lived in Apache County for five generations.  Mr. Whiting and his wife have married for 15 years.

After graduating from High School, he attended Arizona State University’s College of Engineering.  There he received a Bachelor of Science with honors.  After graduating from college he then enrolled and graduated from law school at Arizona Sate University.  One of the awards he received in law school was the highest score in the “Oral Argument Competition”.

Before being elected as the Apache County Attorney, he worked for the law firm of Aspey, Watkins and Diesel in Flagstaff, Arizona.  He then went on to represent various irrigation companies, ranchers and Northern Arizona towns in the Little Colorado River General Stream Adjudication.  These complex civil issues allowed him to sharpen his civil law skills while working with various Native American tribes, the State of Arizona and the United States of America.

As the Apache County Attorney he represents the county in all legal matters, both criminal and civil.  He directs and oversees a staff of about 20 employees. Mr. Whiting is well versed in criminal law and has personally prosecuted cases ranging from simple misdemeanors to homicides.  He is currently prosecuting the youngest murder case in the history of the United States, where an eight year old shot and killed his father and a family friend.  He is also currently prosecuting the youngest serial killer case in the history of the United States.  He is one of the youngest attorneys to ever be elected as a County Attorney.  Mr. Whiting is a member of the Arizona State Bar Association, he is admitted to practice in all courts in the state of Arizona and he is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Arizona