Chief Judge Karla Comanche is a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and represents the (Ha’K’Ayeh’) Grinders Clan. She attained a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Northern Arizona University in 2001 and is a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribal Bar Association. She was appointed as the Associate Judge of the San Carlos Apache Tribal Court in 2009, and was promoted to Chief Judge in 2017. As Chief Judge, she is tasked with presiding over hearings and handling all administrative and fiscal functions of the Tribal Court. She also serves as the Judge Pro Tempore for the Tonto Apache Tribe. Prior to her judicial appointment, she worked as a Lay Advocate in the Zuni Tribal Court, Clerk for the Superior Court, and Judicial Assistant in the Second Judicial District Court in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Judge Comanche has one son, and they reside on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.