Photo: Presiding Judge Steve Moss administering the oath to judges in attendance for Rule of Law Day. Photo courtesy of Mohave County Superior and Limited Courts.
KINGMAN — Many lawyers and judges throughout Mohave County gathered in Kingman on Thursday, February 12, to honor Rule of Law Day by retaking their oaths to uphold the law. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office and Kingman Police Department provided personnel for the Color Guard and the Havasu-based Give Back Glee Club sang the national anthem to open the event.
The ceremony took place on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and featured the former president’s legacy many times. The 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence—which will be celebrated later this year on July 4—also featured prominently throughout the event.
Presiding Judge Steve Moss hosted and set the tone of the event, sharing a few words about the importance of the rule of law not merely as it relates to liberty and equality for all people, but because it constrains those in power.
“In the state of Arizona, we have Magistrates, who are present today,” he said during his speech. “We have Justices of the Peace, who are present today. We have Superior Court Judges, who are present today. We have a Court of Appeals and we have an Arizona Supreme Court. So there’s not just one person with the title of ‘Judge’ who has all the power under his or her hat.”
He explained that the rule of law is fragmented on purpose to constrain that power. “That, I think, is the central thesis of Rule of Law Day, is that power constrained by law and by multiple people watching everyone else who has power and making sure that they are constrained by law for the benefit of the public and for the longevity of our republic.”
Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Scott Timmer delivered hopeful remarks via a pre-recoded video. In her statement, she drew attention to the last time the country found itself disillusioned and divided just before celebrating its bicentennial in 1976.
“This may not feel like a natural moment for celebration,” Judge Timmer said in the video. “Trust in government institutions is strained, skepticism about our national direction is widespread, and the mood of the country is, frankly, tense. That tension is not new.”
She explained that even though Watergate had just happened, America still “pulled out all the stops” to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial.
“It was because they still trusted the founding principles,” she explained. “There was a shared understanding that, while leaders might fail, the ideals embodied in the Declaration of Independence and carried forward in our Constitutional system were worth celebrating, preserving, and recommitting to. That distinction matters then and it matters now.”
Associate Presiding Judge Megan A McCoy also spoke, focusing her message on the importance of the day-to-day work of those in the legal profession. “We are each so different from each other and have different experiences,” she said. “We have different viewpoints, we have different struggles—but we are each committed to understanding how our system of laws works and knowing the incredible impact of just one case on each person that comes into the courtroom.”
Mohave County Bar Association President Heather Wilborne spoke about the work her organization does every year, including Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs, scholarships to students, donations, and presenting awards each year.
Presiding Judge Steven Moss administered the oath to the lawyers attending the event. The oath emphasized a commitment to both the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions, a respect for the courts, a commitment to professionalism, honor for attorney-client privilege, and the importance of always telling the truth. A similar oath was given to the judges attending.
