James R Knapp

HON. JAMES R. (JIM) KNAPP was appointed to the Superior Court in 2022. Before becoming a judge, Jim served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for 16 years. There he handled 21 jury trials in U.S. district court, 15 appeals before the Ninth Circuit, and countless pretrial and post-conviction hearings. He also served as Chief of the General Crimes/Border Crimes Section and later as Chief of the Financial Crimes Section. Jim attended ASU for his undergraduate (philosophy) and law degrees and clerked for Judge Sheldon H. Weisberg at the Arizona Court of Appeals after law school. In his free time, Jim enjoys mountain biking, books, and music. Over the years he’s played drums in a touring indie rock band, an amateur jazz combo playing two office parties and one wedding, and a noise-punk duo with fans numbering in the high single digits.