Arizona Supreme Court | |
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Seal of the Arizona Supreme Court
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Established | 1912 |
Jurisdiction | Arizona |
Location | Phoenix, Arizona |
Composition method | Missouri plan with retention elections |
Authorized by | Arizona Constitution |
Appeals to | Supreme Court of the United States |
Judge term length | 6 years |
Number of positions | 7 |
Website | Official site |
Chief Justice | |
Currently | Robert M. Brutinel |
Since | July 1, 2019 |
Lead position ends | June 30, 2024[1] |
The Arizona Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. stateofArizona. Sitting in the Supreme Court building in downtown Phoenix, the court consists of a chief justice, a vice chief justice, and five associate justices. Each justice is appointed by the governor of Arizona from a list recommended by a bipartisan commission. Justices stand for retention in an election two years after their appointment and then every six years.[2] They must retire at age 70.
The court started in 1912 with three justices. Alfred Franklin, Donald L. Cunningham, and Henry D. Ross took office on February 14, 1912. In 1949, the Court expanded from three to five justices.[3] In 2016 it was further expanded from five to seven justices.[4] This expansion was criticized at the time by some as court packing.[5]
The jurisdiction of the court is prescribed by Article VI, Section 5 of the Arizona Constitution.[6] Most of the appeals heard by the court go through the Arizona Court of Appeals, except for death penalty cases, over which the Arizona Supreme Court has sole appellate jurisdiction. The court also has original jurisdiction in a few other circumstances as outlined in the Arizona Constitution. A quorum is three, but the whole court must sit in order to declare a law unconstitutional.[7]
The Chief Justice is chosen for a five-year term by the court, and is eligible for re-election. They supervise the administration of all the inferior courts. They are Chairman of the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, which nominates candidates to fill vacancies in the appellate courts. If the Governor fails to appoint one of the nominated candidates within sixty days of their names being submitted to her or him, the Chief Justice makes the appointment.
The Vice Chief Justice, who acts as Chief Justice in the latter's "absence or incapacity," is chosen by the court for a term determined by the court.[8]
Justices are selected by a modified form of the Missouri Plan. A bipartisan commission considers applicants and sends a list of nominees to the governor. The governor is required by law to appoint from this list based on merit, without regard to party affiliation. Justices are then retained for an initial period, after which they are subject to a retention election. If the justice wins the election, their term is six years.
Between February to April 2024, the Arizona Senate (with all Republican state senators approving and all Democratic state senators objecting) passed a resolution to change the Arizona Supreme Court term length from six years to lifelong, which would apply retroactively and override the result of the November 2024 Arizona Supreme Court retention elections; the resolution is pending approval in the Arizona House of Representatives.[9]
The current Arizona Supreme Court includes:
Justice | Born | Joined | Chief Justice | Term ends[a] | Mandatory retirement | Appointed by | Law school |
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Robert M. Brutinel, Chief Justice | (1958-03-18) March 18, 1958 (age 66) | November 22, 2010 | 2019–present | 2026 | 2028 | Jan Brewer (R) | Arizona |
Ann Timmer, Vice Chief Justice | (1960-09-12) September 12, 1960 (age 63) | October 12, 2012 | – | 2028 | 2030 | Jan Brewer (R) | Arizona State |
Clint Bolick | (1957-12-26) December 26, 1957 (age 66) | January 6, 2016 | – | 2024 | 2027 | Doug Ducey (R) | UC Davis |
John Lopez IV | 1968 (age 55–56) | December 19, 2016 | – | 2026 | 2038 | Doug Ducey (R) | Arizona State |
James Beene | 1965 (age 58–59) | April 26, 2019 | – | 2028 | 2035 | Doug Ducey (R) | Arizona |
Bill Montgomery | (1967-03-02) March 2, 1967 (age 57) | September 6, 2019 | – | 2028 | 2037 | Doug Ducey (R) | Arizona State |
Kathryn Hackett King | 1980 (age 43–44) | July 8, 2021 | – | 2024 | 2050 | Doug Ducey (R) | Arizona |
Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinel |
Vice Chief Justice Ann Timmer |
Associate Justice Clint Bolick |
Associate Justice John Lopez IV |
Associate Justice James Beene |
Associate Justice Bill Montgomery |
Associate Justice Kathryn Hackett King |
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