PCAO attorney named ‘Felony Prosecutor of the Year’
(FLORENCE, AZ July 31, 2023) – The Pinal County Attorney’s Office is honored to recognize one of its prosecutors, named as the Felony Prosecutor of the Year.
Patrick Johnson, lead capital attorney at PCAO, was named 2023 Felony Prosecutor of the Year by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council.
“I am proud to win this award because it is a reflection of the hard work that our team puts into cases,” Johnson said. “I am fortunate to work with dedicated professionals that sacrifice on a daily basis to work for Justice. Barbara Marvel, William Wallace, Herb Padilla, Traci Borquez, and Julie Jaramillo make a fantastic team that puts in countless hours to make sure we are doing the right things for the community.”
Johnson is assigned to the Major Crimes Bureau within PCAO. This past Winter, Johnson secured a guilty verdict in a complex prison death penalty case that involved first-degree murder along with the jury findings of capital aggravators. The case took more than a decade to get to trial and underwent significant pre-trial litigation, multiple changes in defense teams and nearly a dozen prosecutors prior to Johnson taking over the case. The defendant lived in multiple locations, including American Samoa, with the victim coming from Hawaii, requiring Johnson to track down witnesses from the mainland and Hawaii, while also having to coax them into coming to Florence for the trial.
“Pinal County is fortunate to have a prosecutor like Patrick,” said County Attorney Kent Volkmer. “He is an extremely talented and skilled litigator that comes to work every day focused on holding our most violent offenders accountable. We are pleased that his dedicated service and incredible efforts are being recognized statewide.”
Johnson has been with the Pinal County Attorney’s Office since 2013.
The Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council, created in the 1970s, coordinates and provides training and education to prosecutors throughout Arizona.
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