Hon. Suzanne Cohen is a judge for the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jan Brewer in 2012, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. John A. Buttrick (Ret.).
During her judicial tenure, Cohen has presided in the Criminal and Family Court Departments. She also served as Presiding Judge of the Family Court.
Prior to joining the bench, she worked for twelve years as a deputy county attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (2000 to 2012). As such, Cohen is credited with prosecuting felony cases involving murder, kidnapping, child abuse, and sexual assault. One of her capital cases included the notorious Baseline Killer, considered one of Arizona’s most prominent serial murder and rape cases. During her tenure there, Cohen also served as the Bureau Chief to the General Trial Group and the Family Violence Bureau.
Before working in Arizona, she spent time as a deputy district attorney with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office (1998 to 1999) in California.
Cohen received a B.A. in economics from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in 1989. She went on to complete a J.D. at Golden Gate University School of Law in 1997. She was admitted to practice in Arizona in 1999.
While in California, Cohen was an intern at Juvenile Hall with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office (1996) and a law and motion intern with the Marin County District Attorney’s Office (1997).
Prior to beginning her legal career, she was a full-time insurance underwriter, having worked for several years for Aetna and Travelers Insurance.
Cohen has taught courses for the National District Attorney’s Association, the Arizona Bar Association, and the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys Advisory Council.
She received the Special Recognition Award from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (2012), the Maricopa County Distinguished Service Award (2011), and the Governor’s Award as Outstanding Sexual Assault Prosecutor (2006).
Cohen was named Felony Prosecutor of the Year by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys Advisory Council (2011 to 2012) and the Violent Crimes Prosecutor of the Year by Maricopa County (2007). She also received a commendation for Outstanding Advocacy in a Capital Case by the Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation (2011 to 2012).