The Hon. Stephen C. Villarreal (Ret.) served as a judge for the Pima County Superior Court in Arizona. Villarreal was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jane Dee Hull on August 24, 1998. He retired in 2016.
Prior to his appointment, Villarreal was a sole practitioner in his own private practice, a law firm he opened in 1997. Before that, he was a partner at Gonzalez & Villarreal (1980 to 1996).
Villarreal earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Arizona in 1972. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law in 1975.
After graduating from law school, Villarreal began his legal career as a prosecuting attorney for the Tucson City Attorney’s Office. However, his time there was brief. Shortly after, he became an assistant public defender with the Pima County Public Defender’s Office.
His memberships have included the Arizona Judges Association and the Arizona Minority Judges Caucus.