Finish the ballot: How to decide which judges to vote for
The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review (JPR) at AZCourts.gov is responsible for developing performance standards and thresholds, and conducting performance reviews of justices and judges who are merit selected and subject to retention elections. Currently this includes judges and justices serving on the Arizona Supreme Court, Court of Appeals Division I, Court of Appeals Division II, Coconino County Superior Court, Maricopa County Superior Court, Pima County Superior Court and Pinal County Superior Court.
Before you vote, read the JPR reports and get the facts about the judges who appear on the ballot so you can be confident and informed when you "Finish the ballot!"
Voters have the power to remove or retain judges during the retention elections. View a printable list of judges eligible for retention in the 2024 General Election.
Everything you need to know about judges in Arizona
Selection of Judges
According to the Arizona Judicial Branch at AZCourts.gov, judges who are screened and selected by public committees (see description below) and appointed by the Governor are:
Supreme Court justices;
Court of Appeals judges, and
Superior court judges in Coconino, Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties.
Once appointed, the judges are retained or rejected by the voters every four years for these four superior courts and every six years for the appellate courts.
Judges who are elected are superior court judges from Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, and Yuma counties, and justices of the peace.
City magistrates and municipal judges are usually appointed according to the law governing the city or municipality. Yuma voters elect their municipal judges. Phoenix and Tucson municipal court judges are nominated by a merit commission.
The following info is from Balletpedia:
Arizona Supreme Court
The seven justices on the Arizona Supreme Court are each appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. The commission is composed of 16 members who serve staggered four-year terms. The membership includes 10 non-attorneys, five attorneys, and the chief justice of the supreme court, who chairs the commission.
The initial term of a new justice is at least two years, after which the justice stands for retention in an uncontested yes-no election. Subsequent terms last six years. For more information on these retention elections, visit the Arizona judicial elections page.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a justice:
“Must be admitted to the practice of law in Arizona and be a resident of Arizona for the 10 years immediately before taking office;
May not practice law while a member of the judiciary;
May not hold any other political office or public employment;
May not hold office in any political party;
May not campaign, except for him/herself; and,
Must retire at age 70.”
Chief justice
The court's chief justice is selected by peer vote. He or she serves in that capacity for five years.[8]
Vacancies
See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a justice's term. Potential justices submit applications to the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, and once the commission has chosen a slate of nominees, the governor picks one from that list. After occupying the seat for two years, the newly appointed justice stands for retention in the next general election. The justice then serves a full six-year term if he or she is retained by voters.
Arizona Court of Appeals
The 22 judges of the Arizona Court of Appeals are appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. The commission is composed of 16 members who serve staggered four-year terms. The membership includes 10 non-attorneys, five attorneys, and the chief justice of the supreme court, who chairs the commission.
The initial term of a new judge is at least two years, after which the judge stands for retention in an uncontested yes-no election. Subsequent terms last six years. For more information on these retention elections, visit the Arizona judicial elections page.
The court of appeals is divided into two divisions. Sixteen judges are in Division One and are based in Phoenix, Arizona. The other six judges are in Division Two and are based in Tucson, Arizona.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
a state resident;
licensed to practice law in Arizona for at least five years;
of good moral character; and,
at least 30 years old and under the age of 70 (retirement by 70 is mandatory).
Chief judge
The chief judge of each division is selected by a peer vote. He or she serves in that capacity for one year.
Vacancies
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. Potential judges submit applications to the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, and once the commission has chosen a slate of nominees, the governor picks one from that list. After occupying the seat for two years, the newly appointed judge stands for retention in the next general election. The judge then serves a full six-year term if he or she is retained by voters.
Superior Courts
Judges of the Arizona Superior Court are selected in one of two ways:
In counties with a population exceeding 250,000, judges are appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments.
Coconino, Pima, Pinal, and Maricopa counties use this method. The state constitution provides for other counties to adopt merit selection through a ballot initiative, which Coconino County did in 2018.
After an appointment, judges serve for two years and then must run in a yes-no retention election in the next general election. If retained, judges will go on to serve a four-year term.
If a vacancy occurs in the middle of a judge's term in a county with a population of less than 250,000, the governor appoints a judicial candidate to serve until the next general election. The winner of the nonpartisan election will serve the remainder of the unexpired term. If a vacancy occurs at the end of a judge's term, the vacancy will be filled through a nonpartisan election and the winner will serve a four-year term.
Presiding Judge
A presiding judge is chosen by the supreme court for each superior court that has two or more superior court judges.
Limited Jurisdiction Courts
Arizona has two types of limited jurisdiction court(s): justice courts and municipal courts.
Arizona Justice Courts
Judges of the Arizona Justice Courts are each elected to four-year terms. The elections for this court are partisan contested elections. To serve on this court, a judge must be a registered voter in Arizona, a resident of the justice court precinct, and able to read and write English. A law degree is not required.
Arizona Municipal Courts
Judges of the Arizona Municipal Courts are appointed to terms of varying lengths by the governing body of their municipality, except in Yuma, Arizona. In Yuma, judges on these courts are elected.
Selection of Federal Judges
United States district court judges, who are selected from each state, go through a different selection process from that of state judges.
The district courts are served by Article III federal judges, who are appointed for life during good behavior. They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United Statesnominates judges, who must then be confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution.
Courts in Arizona
In Arizona, there is one federal district court, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, trial courts, and tribal courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.
Click a link for information about that court type.
The image below depicts the flow of cases through Arizona's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.
