Distinguished Members
The Honorable Judge David Allen, Mesa Municipal Court
Judge Allen has been a long time, active member and supporter of the ABB, having previously served as the organization’s Vice President and its current Treasurer.
Judge Allen graduated from the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona in 2004. He has since worked in both private practice and public service. He was appointed as a Mesa Municipal Court Commissioner in 2020. Prior to his appointment, Judge Allen served in other judicial roles as a Maricopa County Superior Court judge pro tempore and as an Administrative Law Judge. Judge Allen is the current chair of the ABB Judicial Diversity and Mentoring Committee.
Judge Allen was appointed a city magistrate in February 2022.
Judge Frankie Jones, Phoenix Municipal Court
Judge Frankie Jones was appointed in 2020 to the Phoenix Municipal Court. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Creighton University School of Law 1993, and was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in 1994.
Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Jones was a deputy legal defender at the Office of the Legal Defender’s Office, Maricopa County. From 1998-2019, Judge Jones had been a deputy county attorney at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. For twelve years Judge Jones served as Bureau Chief of the Probation Violation Bureau and later the Justice Court West Bureau.
Judge Jones has been a member of Commission on Minorities in the Judiciary since 2011 and has been the current chairperson since 2017. She is also a current member on the Committee on Examinations. Since 2005, Judge Jones has been an active member of the Arizona Black Bar, and has served as secretary and continues to be a member of the Hayzel B. Daniels Scholarship Committee.
Commissioner Christian Bell, Maricopa County Superior Court
Commissioner Christian J Bell boasts 1 fantastic wife, 3 impossibly brilliant kids, 6 amazing godkids, and 2 great dogs (Billie Jean sand Thriller Night).
Born and raised in Phoenix, he spent his undergraduate years in Tucson. Commissioner Bell worked as an Assistant Attorney General in his early career, and later joined the Phoenix Prosecutor’s office as a trial attorney, and finished in the appeals unit after serving nearly 8 years.
Professionally, his recent appointment to the Maricopa County Superior Court Bench in its Probate Department, and the completion of his LL.M. in Trial Advocacy at Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2018 are among his proudest accomplishments. At home, he likes whatever his kids are into. He and his wife love to travel with their kids, so he is really looking forward to the day when they can go out and explore and meet up with people like in the olden days.
Commissioner Genene Dyer, Maricopa County Superior Court
Genene Dyer moved to Phoenix, Arizona as a young child and considers herself as practically a Native Phoenician. She moved to Savannah Georgia to pursue her undergraduate degree from Armstrong Atlantic State University receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997. Her journey took her to Dayton, Ohio where she fulfilled her dream of becoming a lawyer, obtaining her JD from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2002.
Her love of Arizona brought her back home and she was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in 2003. She began her career at the Office of the Legal Defender in Maricopa County. There she represented indigent parents in severance matters until she took on the challenge of becoming a solo practitioner. As a solo practitioner, Genene focused on Juvenile and Family Law. However, public service called her back to the Legal Defender. The Legal Defender noticed her hard work as a line attorney and promoted her to Managing Attorney of the dependency/severance division. She held that position until her appointment as Commissioner of the Superior Court in Maricopa County in May of 2021.
Her community service extends beyond the courtroom. She is a member of the State Bar of Arizona’s Military Legal Assistance Panel. She served as the advocacy ministry leader for many years at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, helping people with free legal services and/or leading them to resources. She also served on the Arizona Supreme Court Attorney Discipline Probable Cause Committee. She is the Past President of the Arizona Black Bar and a current President of the Thurgood Marshall Inn of Courts.
Judge Max-Henri Covil, Maricopa County Superior Court
Judge Covil was appointed as a retained judge with the Maricopa County Superior Court on September 4, 2020. Prior to that appointment, Judge Covil served as a commissioner from 2018 to 2020. He is currently assigned to the Family Court Division of the Maricopa County Superior Court.
Prior to serving as a Commissioner, Judge Covil worked as an Administrative Law Judge for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) from 2013 to 2018, and began his career as a Maricopa County Public Defender from 2008 to 2013.
Judge Covil regularly volunteers for the Arizona Veterans Stand Down where he adjudicates criminal cases to assist veterans. He has also been a volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club of North Tempe. Judge Covil is an active member of the Arizona Black Bar Association, Arizona Judges Association, Maricopa County Bar Association, and Thurgood Marshall Inn of Court. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Community Legal Services.
Chief Judge Ida B. Wilber, Yavapai-Apache Nation
The Honorable Ida B. Wilber served as Chief Judge for the Hualapai Nation October 2013-December 2015. Judge Wilber has the distinction of being the first African American Female Judge (and longest serving) Chief Judge of the Ak-Chin Indian Community Court from October 2004-January 2008. Judge Wilber worked as a Deputy County Attorney with the Pima County Attorney's Office, and as a Deputy Defense Advocate for the Salt River Maricopa- Pima Indian Community (SRPMIC) for five years. Judge Wilber began her legal career as an Assistant Attorney General for the Tohono O'odham Nation. Judge Wilber, teaches at the ASU Tribal Advocacy College bi-annually, and she is involved with several community service and professional organizations: Life Member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Charter Member of Black Women Lawyers Association, the Women's Progressive Civic Club (WPCC), and the Lucy Williams Missionary Society, Prince Chapel A.M.E.
Judge Wilber’s most important job is raising her three sons Joshua Clayton (9), Isaiah Ray (8) and King Alexander (6) Rue-Wilber.
Commissioner Dawn R. Walton, Maricopa County Superior Court
Commissioner Walton was appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court in March of 2021. She serves as a Commissioner in the Criminal Department, Initial Appearance Court. Commissioner Walton practiced primarily in the government sector and began her career at the Arizona Office of the Attorney General representing the Department of Child Safety prosecuting dependency cases. She continued her work in public service as an Assistant Attorney General representing licensing boards and agencies, and also worked as a sole practitioner representing indigent parents in dependency matters.
Commissioner Walton’s journey to the bench truly began when she served as Executive Director for the Academy for Justice at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law from 2018 until her appointment to the bench. Her exposure to academic research, diverse perspectives and issues involving criminal justice reform led her to the conclusion that she could and must have a more significant impact within our justice system, and thus decided to apply to become a Commissioner with the Maricopa County Superior Court.
Commissioner Walton is a member of the Arizona Supreme Court Commission on Diversity, Equality, and Justice (CODEJ), Chair of the City of Phoenix Judicial Selection Advisory Board, and served as the 2021 President of the Arizona Black Bar.