Gov. Katie Hobbs will choose a new justice from a list of five Arizona Supreme Court candidates, marking her first appointment to the state’s highest court.
A judicial nominating commission submitted the names on Tuesday, setting the stage for Hobbs to fill the vacancy left by Justice Robert Brutinel, who retired at the end of October after nearly 14 years of service.
The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments selected the candidates from applications submitted by Nov. 1. The nominees include three women and two men, reflecting diverse professional backgrounds across appellate courts, state government, and municipal law.
Who Are the Arizona Supreme Court Candidates?
The candidates include two Arizona Court of Appeals judges, Maria Elena Cruz and Andrew M. Jacobs, both serving the Phoenix area.
Nicole C. Davis, deputy director and general counsel at the Department of Economic Security, is among the nominees, alongside Alexander W. Samuels, the Arizona Attorney General’s principal deputy solicitor general. Regina L. Nassen, Tucson’s principal assistant city attorney, rounds out the list.
Requirements for Arizona Supreme Court Candidates
To qualify, nominees must be Arizona residents for at least 10 years, admitted to practice law in the state, younger than 65 at the time of nomination, and meet the commission’s “good moral character” standard.
What’s Next?
Hobbs has 60 days to make her selection, which will return the court to its full seven-member bench. The appointment will be notable as the first Arizona Supreme Court justice chosen by a Democratic governor since 2005, when Janet Napolitano appointed Scott Bales.
Since Bales’ retirement in 2019, the court has been comprised solely of Republican appointees, making Hobbs’ decision a significant shift in the court’s composition.