Arizona Supreme Court justice vacancy (April 2021)
| Arizona Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Gould vacancy |
| Date: April 1, 2021 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Kathryn Hackett King |
| Date: July 8, 2021 |
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) appointed Kathryn Hackett King to the Arizona Supreme Court on July 8, 2021.[1] King succeeded Justice Andrew W. Gould, who retired on April 1, 2021.[2][3] King was Gov. Ducey's sixth nominee to the seven-member supreme court.
At the time of the vacancy, justices on the Arizona Supreme Court were selected through the assisted appointment method for six-year renewable terms, under Arizona law. Following the initial appointment, judges would be subject to a retention election in the next general election which would occur more than two years after the appointment.
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the Arizona Supreme Court vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- A list of candidates who applied to the vacancy.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2021.
The appointee
- See also: Kathryn Hackett King
Before her appointment to the Arizona Supreme Court, King was a partner at the law firm of BurnsBarton PLC. She also served as a member of the Arizona Board of Regents. From 2015 to 2017, King served as the deputy general counsel to Gov. Ducey. She previously practiced law at Snell & Wilmer LLP. After graduation from law school, King clerked for former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Michael D. Ryan from 2007 to 2008. She is the fifth woman in Arizona history to serve on the state supreme court.[1]
King earned a B.A. in political science from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.[1]
Appointee candidates and nominations
Applicants
The Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments interviewed 11 applicants.[4]
- Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia Bailey
- Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Sean Brearcliffe
- Pima County Public Defender's Office attorney David Euchner
- Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Randall M. Howe
- Attorney Kathryn King
- Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Jennifer Perkins
- Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Adele Ponce
- Shamrock Foods Company Vice President of Legal & Risk Management Carrie P. Ryerson
- Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Patricia Starr
- Deputy Solicitor General and Chief Counsel of the Capital Litigation Section, Office of the Arizona Attorney General, Lacey Stover Gard
- Arizona Court of Appeals Judge David Weinzweig
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Arizona
As of April 2021, there were seven justices on the Arizona Supreme Court, each appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. The initial term of a new justice was at least two years, after which the justice would stand for retention in an uncontested yes-no election. Subsequent terms last six years.[5] For more information on these retention elections, visit the Arizona judicial elections page.[5]
Makeup of the court
- See also: Arizona Supreme Court
Justices
Following Gould's retirement, the Arizona Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Robert Brutinel | Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R) in 2010 | |
| ■ Ann Timmer | Appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R) in 2012 | |
| ■ Clint Bolick | Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2016 | |
| ■ John Lopez IV | Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2016 | |
| ■ James Beene | Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2019 | |
| ■ Bill Montgomery | Appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2019 |
About the court
Founded in February 1912, the Arizona Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort. The current chief of the court is Ann Timmer. Seven justices serve on the court. It has administrative supervision over all the other courts, and it hears appeals of decisions from the Court of Appeals, as well as appeals in special cases from the Superior Court. Special cases include those involving the death penalty and some involving elected officials or disputes between counties.[6][7]
About Justice Gould
- See also: Andrew W. Gould
Gould joined the Arizona Supreme Court in 2016. He was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey (R).[8]
Before serving on the state supreme court, Gould served as a judge with Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals from 2011 to 2016. He served as a judge with the Yuma County Superior Court from 2001 to 2011. Gould served as chief civil deputy for the Yuma County Attorney’s Office from 1999 to 2001. Previously, he worked as a civil litigator in private practice.[9]
Gould earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Montana in 1986. He earned a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1990.[9]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2021
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2021
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2021. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2020.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Office of the Governor - Doug Ducey, "Governor Ducey Appoints Kathryn Hackett King To The Arizona Supreme Court," July 8, 2021
- ↑ AZCentral, "Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould announces retirement," March 12, 2021
- ↑ Associated Press, "Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould to retire," March 12, 2021
- ↑ Arizona Courts, "Vacancy Applications," accessed May 14, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Arizona," accessed March 16, 2021
- ↑ Arizona Judicial Branch, "AZ Courts," accessed September 11, 2015
- ↑ Policy Report, "Judging the Justices: A Review of the Arizona Supreme Court, 2003-2004," April 8, 2005
- ↑ Office of the Governor: Doug Ducey, "Two New Appointments To The Supreme Court Of Arizona," November 28, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Office of the Arizona Governor, "Press Release: Governor Jan Brewer Announces Arizona Court of Appeals Appointment," October 24, 2011
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Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Arizona • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Arizona
State courts:
Arizona Supreme Court • Arizona Court of Appeals • Arizona Superior Court • Arizona Justice Courts • Arizona Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arizona • Arizona judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arizona
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