Arizona Supreme Court

Arizona Supreme Court
Seal of the Arizona Supreme Court
Established	1912
Jurisdiction	United States
Composition method	Missouri plan with retention elections
Authorized by	Arizona Constitution
Judge term length	6 years
Number of positions	5
Website	Official site
Chief Justice
Currently	Rebecca White Berch
Since	2009

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 three 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]

Justices

The current Arizona Supreme Court includes:

• Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch^[5]
• Vice Chief Justice Andrew D. Hurwitz^[6]
• Justice W. Scott Bales^[7]
• Justice John Pelander^[8]
• Justice Robert M. Brutinel^[9]

Membership History

Alfred Franklin, Donald L. Cunningham, and Henry D. Ross took office on February 14, 1912.

Chief Justices

• Alfred Franklin - 01/1912 to 12/1914
• Henry D. Ross - 1/1915 to 12/1916
• Alfred Franklin - 01/1917 to 12/1917
• Donald L. Cunningham - 01/1918 to 12/1920
• Henry D. Ross - 1/1921 to 12/1922
• Archibald G. McAlister - 1/1923 to 12/1926
• Henry D. Ross - 1/1927 to 12/1928
• Alfred C. Lockwood - 1/1929 to 12/1930
• Archibald G. McAlister - 1/1931 to 12/1932
• Henry D. Ross - 1/1933 to 12/1934
• Alfred C. Lockwood - 1/1935 to 12/1936
• Archibald G. McAlister - 1/1937 to 12/1938
• Henry D. Ross - 1/1939 to 12/1940
• Alfred C. Lockwood - 1/1941 to 12/1942
• Archibald G. McAlister - 1/1943 to 12/1944
• Henry D. Ross - 1/1945 to 2/1945
• R.C. Stanford - 2/1945 to 12/1948
• Arthur T. LaPrade - 1/1949 to 12/1950
• Levi Stewart Udall - 1/1951 to 12/1952
• R.C. Stanford - 1/1953 to 12/1953
• Marlin T. Phelps - 1/1954 to 12/1954
• Arthur T. LaPrade - 1/1955 to 12/1956
• Levi Stewart Udall - 1/1957 to 12/1958
• Marlin T. Phelps - 1/1959 to 12/1959
• Fred C. Struckmeyer Jr. - 1/1960 to 12/1961
• Charles C. Bernstein - 1/1962 to 12/1963
• Jesse Addison Udall - 1/1964 to 12/1964
• Lorna E. Lockwood - 1/1965 to 12/1965 (First female chief justice in the United States)
• Fred C. Struckmeyer Jr. - 1/1966 to 12/1966
• Charles C. Bernstein - 1/1967 to 12/1967
• Ernest W. McFarland - 1/1968 to 12/1968
• Jesse Addison Udall - 1/1969 to 12/1969
• Lorna E. Lockwood - 1/1970 to 12/1970
• Fred C. Struckmeyer Jr. - 1/1971 to 12/1971
• Jack D.H. Hays - 1/1972 to 12/1974
• James Duke Cameron - 1/1975 to 12/1979
• Fred C. Struckmeyer Jr. - 1/1980 to 12/1981
• William A. Holohan - 1/1982 to 1/1987
• Frank X. Gordon Jr. - 1/1987 to 1/1992
• Stanley G. Feldman - 1/1992 to 1/1997
• Thomas A. Zlaket - 1/1997 to 1/2002
• Charles E. Jones - 1/2002 to 6/11/2005
• Ruth V. McGregor - 6/12/2005 to 6/30/2009
• Rebecca White Berch - 7/1/2009 to Present

See also

• Courts of Arizona

Sources

• Arizona Supreme Court Justices
• Arizona Constitution, Article VI
• Arizona Judicial Branch

References

1. ^ Format Document
2. ^ Format Document
3. ^ Article 6 Section 5 - Supreme court; jurisdiction; writs; rules; habeas corpus
4. ^ Format Document
5. ^ http://www.azcourts.gov/meetthejustices/ChiefJusticeRebeccaWhiteBerch.aspx
6. ^ http://www.azcourts.gov/meetthejustices/ViceChiefJusticeAndrewDHurwitz.aspx
7. ^ http://azcourts.gov/meetthejustices/justiceWScottBales.aspx
8. ^ http://azcourts.gov/meetthejustices/JusticeAJohnPelander.aspx
9. ^ http://www.azcourts.gov/meetthejustices/JusticeRobertMBrutinel.aspx

External links

• Arizona Supreme Court is at coordinates 33°26′51″N 112°05′33″W / 33.447503°N 112.092401°W / 33.447503; -112.092401 (Arizona Supreme Court)Coordinates: 33°26′51″N 112°05′33″W / 33.447503°N 112.092401°W / 33.447503; -112.092401 (Arizona Supreme Court)