Aaron Douglas LaSota Reprimanded Retired

The Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly reprimanded Apache Junction Municipal Court Judge Aaron Douglas LaSota after finding he held an improper ex parte communication in a criminal case. On October 13, 2022, LaSota conducted a telephonic conference on the record with only the defendant's attorney participating — no prosecutor was on the call. When the defense attorney asked about the prosecutor's absence, LaSota said the prosecutor was "next door," which the attorney understood to mean nearby and within hearing range. In fact, the prosecutor was in an entirely different building and had no idea the conference was taking place.

The Commission found LaSota's conduct did not fall under any administrative-scheduling exception to the judicial ex parte communications rule, and that it violated the Code of Judicial Conduct's provisions on ex parte communications and on avoiding the appearance of impropriety. LaSota was publicly reprimanded on August 30, 2023. He filed a motion for reconsideration, which the Commission denied on December 8, 2023, making the reprimand final.