A familiar face with diverse experience as a judge and attorney in Glendale and other cities across Arizona will take on a new role starting next month.
The Glendale City Council this week unanimously appointed Chad Heywood to serve as a city judge in Glendale City Court, beginning Oct. 16.
Heywood has served as Glendale’s court hearing officer since January and was appointed as a judge pro tempore for the Glendale City Court in July 2024. Mayor Jerry Weiers and the Glendale City Council said they were impressed with Heywood’s accomplishments and familiarity with the court.
“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 said. “It’s very collaborative — everybody works together on the goals that need to be accomplished for the court. One of the biggest things I plan to focus on is making sure everyone has equal access to justice and the ability to be heard and present what they want to in the court.”
A graduate of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, Heywood previously 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 a 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 studies at Grand Canyon University from 2018 to 2023.
He said he is passionate about helping people through the Glendale Mental Health Court, which assists individuals with mental illnesses or developmental disabilities in resolving criminal cases through a cooperative approach.
“I’m proud to welcome Judge Chad Heywood to the Glendale City Court and the reappointment of Judge Jack Pritt,” Weiers said. “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.”