Arizona Supreme Court
| Arizona Supreme Court | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Arizona Supreme Court | |
| Established | 1912 |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Composition method | Missouri plan with retention elections |
| Authorized by | Arizona Constitution |
| Decisions are appealed to | Supreme Court of the United States |
| Judge term length | 6 years |
| No. of positions | 7 |
| Website | Official site |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Scott Bales |
| Since | July 1, 2014 |
| Lead position ends | June 30, 2019 |
The Arizona Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Arizona. It 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.[1] They must retire at age 70.
The Chief Justice is chosen for a five-year term by the court, and is eligible for re-election. He or she supervises the administration of all the inferior courts. He or she is 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.[2]
The jurisdiction of the court is prescribed by Article VI, Section 5 of the Arizona Constitution.[3] 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.[4]
Selection of justices
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, 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.[5]
Justices
The current Arizona Supreme Court includes:
| Title | Name | Appointment | Reaches age 70 | Law school graduated from | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice | Scott Bales | 2005 | 2026 | Harvard Law School | Janet Napolitano |
| Vice Chief Justice | Robert M. Brutinel | 2010 | 2028 | University of Arizona | Jan Brewer |
| Associate Justice | John Pelander | 2009 | 2021 | University of Arizona | Jan Brewer |
| Associate Justice | Ann Timmer | 2012 | 2030 | Arizona State University College of Law | Jan Brewer |
| Associate Justice | Clint Bolick | 2016 | 2027 | UC Davis School of Law | Doug Ducey |
| Associate Justice | Andrew Gould | 2016 | 2034 | Northwestern University School of Law | Doug Ducey |
| Associate Justice | John Lopez IV | 2016 | 2039 | Arizona State University College of Law | Doug Ducey |
Court history
The court started in 1912 with 3 justices, they were Alfred Franklin, Donald L. Cunningham, and Henry D. Ross and took office on February 14, 1912. In 1949, the Court expanded from 3 to 5 justices.[6] In 2016, the Court expanded from 5 to 7 justices.[7]
Chief Justices
- Alfred Franklin (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 (1929–1930, 1935–1936, 1941–1942)
- Rawghlie Clement Stanford (1945–1948)
- Arthur T. LaPrade (1949–1950, 1955–1956)
- Levi Stewart Udall (1951–1952)
- Rawghlie Clement Stanford (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 (1964–1964, 1969)
- Lorna E. Lockwood (1965–1965, 1970) (First female chief justice in the United States)
- Ernest W. McFarland (1968–1968)
- Jack D.H. Hays (1972–1974)
- James Duke Cameron (1975–1979)
- William A. Holohan (1982–1987)
- Frank X. Gordon Jr. (1987–1992)
- Stanley G. Feldman (1992–1997)
- Thomas A. Zlaket (1997–2002)
- Charles E. Jones (2002–2005)
- Ruth V. McGregor (2005–2009)
- Rebecca White Berch (2009–2014)
- Scott Bales (2014 to Present)
See also
Sources
References
- ↑ "Format Document".
- ↑ "Format Document".
- ↑ "Article 6 Section 5 - Supreme court; jurisdiction; writs; rules; habeas corpus".
- ↑ "Format Document".
- ↑ http://www.azcourts.gov/AZ-Supreme-Court
- ↑ William O. Douglas, Arizona's New Judicial Article, 2 ARIZ. L. REV. 159 (1960).
- ↑ http://kjzz.org/content/269920/bill-would-add-2-new-justices-arizona-supreme-court