The Arizona Supreme Court is the
state supreme court
In the United States, a state supreme court (known by other names in some states) is the highest court in the state judiciary of a U.S. state. On matters of state law, the judgment of a state supreme court is considered final and binding in b ...
of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. Sitting in the Supreme Court building in downtown
Phoenix, the court consists of a
chief justice, a vice chief justice, and five
associate justice
Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some sta ...
s. Each justice is appointed by the
governor of Arizona
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
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. They
must retire at age 70.
Court history
The court started in 1912 with 3 justices.
Alfred Franklin
Alfred Morrison Franklin (September 30, 1871 – after 1948) was an American jurist and politician. He was the first chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court and served as a member of Arizona's 1910 constitutional convention.
Biography
...
,
Donald L. Cunningham, and
Henry D. Ross took office on February 14, 1912 (
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
). In 1949, the Court expanded from 3 to 5 justices and from 5 to 7 justices in 2016.
The jurisdiction of the court is prescribed by Article VI, Section 5 of the
Arizona Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Arizona is the governing document and framework for the State of Arizona. The current constitution is the first and only adopted by the state of Arizona.
History
The Arizona Territory was authorized to hold a ...
. Most of the appeals heard by the court go through the
Arizona Court of Appeals, except for
death penalty
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
cases, over which the Arizona Supreme Court has sole
appellate jurisdiction
A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much ...
. The court also has original jurisdiction in a few other circumstances as outlined in the Arizona Constitution. A
quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to '' Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...
is three, but the whole court must sit in order to declare a law unconstitutional.
Selection of justices
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.
Justices are selected by a modified form of the
Missouri Plan The Missouri Plan (originally the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan, also known as the merit plan, or some variation) is a method for the selection of judges. It originated in Missouri in 1940 and has been adopted by many states of the United States. ...
. A bipartisan commission considers applicants and sends a list of nominees to the governor. The
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
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
A judicial retention election (or retention referendum) is a periodic process in some jurisdictions whereby a judge is subject to a referendum held at the same time as a general election. The judge is removed from office if a majority of votes ar ...
. If the justice wins the election, his/her term is six years.
Qualifications
*Admitted to the practice of law in Arizona and be a resident of Arizona for the 10 years before taking office;
*May not practice law while a member of the judiciary;
*May not hold any other political office or public employment;
*May not hold office in any political party;
*May not campaign, except for him/herself; and,
*Must retire at age 70.
Justices
The current Arizona Supreme Court includes:
Chief Justices
*
Alfred Franklin
Alfred Morrison Franklin (September 30, 1871 – after 1948) was an American jurist and politician. He was the first chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court and served as a member of Arizona's 1910 constitutional convention.
Biography
...
(1912–1914, 1917)
*
Henry D. Ross (1915–1916, 1921–1922, 1927–1928, 1933–1934, 1939–1940, 1945)
*
Donald L. Cunningham (1918–1920)
*
Archibald G. McAlister (1923–1926, 1931–1932, 1937–1938, 1943–1944)
*
Alfred C. Lockwood
Alfred C. Lockwood (July 20, 1875 – October 29, 1951) was an American jurist and politician. Before his election to the Arizona Supreme Court, he served as a judge for the Superior Court of Cochise County.
Lockwood was born in Ottawa, Illinois. ...
(1929–1930, 1935–1936, 1941–1942)
*
Rawghlie Clement Stanford
Rawghlie Clement Stanford (August 2, 1879 – December 15, 1963) was an American judge and politician who served as the fifth governor of Arizona from 1937 to 1939. He later served on the Arizona Supreme Court from 1943 until 1955, including thr ...
(1945–1948)
*
Arthur T. LaPrade (1949–1950, 1955–1956)
*
Levi Stewart Udall (1951–1952)
*
Rawghlie Clement Stanford
Rawghlie Clement Stanford (August 2, 1879 – December 15, 1963) was an American judge and politician who served as the fifth governor of Arizona from 1937 to 1939. He later served on the Arizona Supreme Court from 1943 until 1955, including thr ...
(1953–1953)
*
Marlin T. Phelps (1954–1954, 1959)
*
Levi Stewart Udall (1957–1958)
*
Fred C. Struckmeyer Jr. (1960–1961, 1966, 1971, 1980–1981)
*
Charles C. Bernstein (1962–1963, 1967–1967)
*
Jesse Addison Udall
Jesse Addison Udall (June 24, 1893 – April 18, 1980) was an American jurist and member of the Udall political family who served as chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.
Udall was born and raised in Arizona, he was the son of David Kin ...
(1964–1964, 1969)
*
Lorna E. Lockwood (1965–1965, 1970) (First female chief justice in the United States)
*
Ernest McFarland
Ernest William McFarland (October 9, 1894 – June 8, 1984) was an American politician, jurist and, with Warren Atherton, one of the "Fathers of the G.I. Bill." He is the only Arizonan to serve in the highest office in all three branches of Ari ...
(1968–1968)
*
Jack D. H. Hays (1972–1974)
*
James Duke Cameron (1975–1979)
*
William A. Holohan (1982–1987)
*
Frank Gordon Jr. (1987–1992)
*
Stanley G. Feldman
Stanley George Feldman (born March 9, 1933) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as a member of the Arizona Supreme Court for twenty years from 1982 to 2002. He served as chief justice from 1992 to 1997.
Feldman was born in New York City ...
(1992–1997)
*
Thomas A. Zlaket (1997–2002)
*
Charles E. Jones (2002–2005)
*
Ruth McGregor
Ruth Van Roekel McGregor (born April 4, 1943) is an American lawyer and former justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.
Legal education and experience
McGregor received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa in 1964, a Master of Arts from t ...
(2005–2009)
*
Rebecca White Berch (2009–2014)
*
Scott Bales
William Scott Bales (born July 20, 1956) is the former Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. He was appointed to the court in 2005 by Governor Janet Napolitano through Arizona's merit selection system. He was elected by his fellow justices ...
(2014–2019)
*
Robert M. Brutinel
Robert Maurice Brutinel (born March 18, 1958) is the chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. He was appointed to the court in 2010 by Governor Jan Brewer, through Arizona's merit selection system
Professional career
Brutinel is a graduate of ...
(2019–present)
Important cases
* ''
Harrison v. Laveen'', 67 Ariz. 337, 196 P.2d 456 (1948), a case in which the Court held that the "persons under guardianship" phrasing in the state constitution applied only to
judicial guardianship and that the phrase "has no application to the plaintiffs or to the Federal status of Indians in Arizona as a class" in a unanimous decision.
See also
*
Arizona Bar Exam
*
Courts of Arizona
References
External links
*Map:
Arizona Supreme Court JusticesArizona Constitution, Article VIArizona Judicial Branch
{{authority control
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
1912 establishments in Arizona
Courts and tribunals established in 1912