Yavapai County
Superior Court Judges & Candidates

John D. Napper

John Napper was the Yavapai County Public Defender from May of 2014 to December 2016. There he directed an office of 17 attorneys and 15 staff along with approximately 20 contract lawyers. He was in private practice prior to his appointment as the Public Defender. As an attorney he handled civil, criminal, and appellate cases. He graduated with honors from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago Illinois in 2002. Judge Napper was appointed by Chief Justice Brutinel to serve as the Presiding Judge of Yavapai County, effective August 1st 2020.

Henry Edward Whitmer

Judge Whitmer received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy, magna cum laude from Arizona State University Barrett’s Honors College in May 2008. He later attended the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 2011. Judge Whitmer has participated in various legal internships and has been practicing law since 2011. He joined the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office in January 2014, where he prosecuted various felony matters, ranging from drug charges to homicides. He left the County Attorney’s Office in 2022 to join private practice, first joining the Signature Law Group, and later opening Whitmer Law PLLC.

Judge Whitmer stated, "I am grateful for the trust the citizens of Yavapai County have placed in me. I am humbled by the meaningful task in front of me. I promise to do all I can to ensure everyone is treated with respect, the Constitution is followed, and justice is done. It is an honor to serve in this capacity."

Anna Young

Judge Anna Young is a judge on the Yavapai County Superior Court in Arizona. She was appointed by Governor Jan Brewer in April 2011 and her term expired on January 6, 2019.[ She was re-elected in 2014. Young received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in 1994 and her J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1997 and prior to be appointed was in private practice.

Josh Butner

Josh Butner is a graduate of the California Western School of Law in San Diego, Juris Doctor. He was a deputy County Attorney with the Yavapai County Attorney’s office before joining the firm. He is 23-year veteran of the United States Navy SEAL Teams and led special forces overseas in multiple combat zones. Josh also holds two master’s degrees, an MS in Defense Analysis, and an MS in National Security Affairs.  He is a member and Secretary of the Yavapai County Bar Association. His area of law specialty is in criminal and real estate law.

Michael P. McGill

Judge Honorable  Michael P. McGill is a Yavapai County Superior Court Judge (Division 1) in Arizona, appointed by Governor Doug Ducey in 2020, with a background as a prosecutor in Yavapai and Mohave Counties, known for his work with the County Attorney's Office and involvement in establishing the county's Veteran's Court before moving to the bench to handle various civil and criminal cases. 

Judge McGill’s background is solid; he is an experienced prosecutor with the Yavapai and Mohave County Attorney's offices, recognized with awards like the Outstanding Felony Prosecutor Award. His focus was civil, family law, and conservatorship cases, later moving to criminal law; involved in establishing the Yavapai County Veteran's Court.