Deputy Navajo County Attorney Martin Roes was named the 2024 APAAC Juvenile Prosecutor of the Year Award during the Arizona Prosecuting Attorney’s Advisory Council’s annual award ceremony. The Navajo County Board of Supervisors acknowledged Roes’ statewide award during a recent board of supervisors meeting.
The Juvenile Prosecutor of the Year Award recognizes the extraordinary achievement of an Arizona juvenile prosecutor on a specific case, or for a series of outstanding prosecutorial accomplishments that demonstrate the prosecutor’s exceptional advocacy.
Roes received the recognition because, despite an arduous caseload, he takes a balanced and nuanced approach to cases that considers the best interests of the juvenile, the goal of rehabilitation, and keeping communities safe.
The Navajo County Attorney’s Office is leanly staffed, like many rural counties and employs Roes as its only primary juvenile prosecutor. In 2023, the juvenile desk saw a major uptick of cases – an increase of 100 cases over 2022 – and Roes’ workload grew exponentially. Still, Roes maintains laser focus on individual cases, and is notable for his ongoing concern for, and actions on behalf of, juvenile offenders during their probationary periods. Often, Roes advocates for young offenders to be enrolled in treatment and other rehabilitative programs to address risk factors and root causes of a juvenile’s behavior and reduce the likelihood of future delinquent and destructive behavior that could prove harmful to the offender and the community at large.
“It’s widely understood that prosecuting juveniles involves special considerations due to their age and developmental stage. In his few years on the juvenile desk, Martin has demonstrated a remarkable aptitude for considering the developmental differences of juveniles when assessing culpability and determining appropriate interventions,” said Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon. “Martin’s detailed attention to each case, despite a high caseload, and his concern for the long-standing consequences of juvenile prosecution on the community, the victims and the juvenile defendant, stand as strong examples for the juvenile justice community. I’m proud to have him working for the County Attorney’s Office.”
Roes earned his law degree from University of Idaho. He has worked at the Navajo County Attorney’s Office since 2020.
