Selection Snapshots

Of the 100 justices who have served on the supreme court since statehood, only 36 have been elected to their seats. The rest were appointed by the governor to fill mid-term vacancies. But with two open-seat races in 2012, the court will have a majority of elected justices for the first time since 1913. Click here to...

In 2012, superior court judges in Pinal County will stand for retention rather than reelection. Because the county’s population now exceeds 250,000, its judges will now be included in the state’s merit selection, retention election, and performance evaluation program. Pinal County joins Maricopa County and Pima County...

A U.S. bankruptcy judge was rebuked by a disciplinary committee of the Federal Judicial Conference for his longtime membership in a country club that has no black or women voting members. The judge is retiring at the end of the year. Click here to read the article.

As part of his plan to “overhaul” the federal government, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry proposed eighteen-year, staggered terms for supreme court justices and similarly limited terms for lower federal court judges. Click here to read the article.

A state court judge ruled that the governor must disclose the names of nominees submitted by the judicial selection commission. Unlike his predecessors, the governor had refused to make the names public because he feared it would deter attorneys from applying for judgeships if the names were disclosed. Click here to...

Governor Gregoire appointed superior court judge Steven Gonzalez to the supreme court to fill the vacancy created by Justice Gerry Alexander’s retirement. Gonzalez is only the second Hispanic to serve on the supreme court. Click here to read the article.

A trial court judge was censured and suspended without pay for six months for living outside her district and misleading investigators about it. The constitution requires judges to live in the district in which they serve at the time of their selection and throughout their term. Click here to read the article.

Bypassing the intermediate appellate court, the supreme court agreed to review a trial court decision invalidating an increase in judges’ contributions to their health insurance and pensions. Governor Christie characterized this as a “manipulation of the judicial process” and referred to the justices as "unelected,...

Supreme court presiding justice George C. Carlson, Jr. announced that he will not seek reelection in 2012. Carlson was first appointed to the bench in 2001 and won reelection in 2004. Click here to read the article.

Voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75. Click here to read the article.