Maricopa County welcomes new presiding Judge Pamela Gates
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. - Maricopa County's court system, which millions interact with annually, is under new leadership.
Judge Pamela Gates has taken the helm as the Presiding Judge of the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County, overseeing the nation's fourth-largest trial court.
What we know:
Her vision centers on creating a more efficient, transparent and accessible justice system for the community – potentially through artificial intelligence.
Born in a small town in Iowa, Gates is now responsible for managing the courts, assigning cases to other judges and overseeing approximately 3,000 employees within the court and probation systems.
Her tenure coincides with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, a technology poised to transform various industries, including the legal profession.
Judge Gates, who serves on a steering committee dedicated to understanding AI and its implications for courts, emphasized the need for careful and responsible integration.
Judge Pamela Gates, Presiding Judge of the Judicial Branch of Maricopa County | Full interview
Judge Pamela Gates, with her sharp mind and even sharper determination, has just taken the helm as the Presiding Judge of the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County. It's no small feat; she now oversees the nation's fourth-largest trial court.
What they're saying:
"There is a right way, and a wrong way, and we need to be incredibly thoughtful and responsible with any use of artificial intelligence," Gates said.
She offered examples of beneficial AI applications, such as guiding pro se defendants through complex processes like divorce proceedings. Gates also noted AI's potential to enhance judicial efficiency.
For instance, a secure and monitored AI tool could quickly analyze vast documents to identify specific information, like how often a party tested positive for drugs, by hyperlinking directly to relevant pages, a task a simple "find and search" tool might struggle with.
However, concerns remain, particularly regarding AI-generated evidence. Gates highlighted the challenge for judges when experts cannot fully explain how an AI tool produced specific outputs, such as accident reconstruction videos.
"For example, litigants will bring in videos. It might be an accident reconstruction video," Gates said. "And the expert can't specifically say how the AI tool they used generated that video ... so that's going to be a really challenging issue for our judges to assess. Is this the reliable type of information jurors should be entitled to consider?"
What you can do:
Click here to learn more about Judge Gates.