Honorable Gary Handley was elected in 2006 as Justice of the Peace for Manistee Justice Precinct, formerly Glendale Justice Court serving citizens of central Glendale with jurisdictional boundaries extending into the Northwest Valley of Phoenix.

Judge Handley was born in Akron, Ohio and raised in Glendale, Arizona. He graduated from Glendale High School and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University and is a graduate of Arizona Judicial College. He served for six years (1970-76) in the United States Air Force Reserves and was stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Glendale, Arizona.

Judge Handley substitute taught in the Glendale Elementary School District prior to his 30 year insurance career as an independent adjuster and investigator. His responsibilities included: handling hundreds of complex first and third party personal injury and property claims through mediation and court settlement conferences. Early in his career he served as a court appointed investigator in capital offense cases.

He holds separate licenses from the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Arizona Department of Insurance and completed advance studies in insurance claims from the Insurance Institute of America. He served as a hearing officer in the small claims division of the Justice Court in 1989, hearing traffic and small claim cases.

As a trier of fact, for the people’s court, Judge Handley maintains high judicial standards of fairness and justice to protect the fundamental rights of all individuals while preserving the public trust.

Among his accomplishments: Judge Handley established night court for the convenience of working citizens, been available and accessible after regular court hours for law enforcement officers, offers mediation on a case by case basis to give litigants an opportunity to settle cases without trial and ensured equal access to court facilities for the physically impaired.

Judge Handley served as a volunteer Boy Scout Counselor and is a member of the Boy Scouts of America Alumni Association. He formerly served as a U.S. Selective Service System Member for Arizona Local Board #7 and is an active member of the Maricopa County Justice of the Peace Association and former member of Arizona Insurance Claims Association.

Judge Handley is a licensed pilot and enjoys flying and exploring the planet in his spare time. He has a keen interest in the study and preservation of past human civilizations and is a member of the Archaeological Institute of America.