Arizona

Arizona Supreme Court By The Numbers:

Justice

Former prosecutor

Both a former prosecutor & public defender

  • 7 Total seats
  • 0 Current vacancies
  • 3 Prosecutors
  • 2 Justices are both a former prosecutor & public defender
  • 0 Civil Rights Lawyers

How Members of the Arizona Supreme Court are Selected:

Appointment, Retention Election

The Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, which includes 10 non-attorneys or “public members,” five attorneys, and a chairperson, selects finalists from which the governor appoints a justice. Two years after being appointed, a justice stands for retention in an uncontested yes-no election, and then serves a six-year term if retained.

Selection method sources:

Ballotpedia, Judicial Election Methods By State; Brennan Center for Justice, Judicial Selection: An Interactive Map, Arizona State Constitution, Article 36