PHOENIX -- Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday placed the first Hispanic woman and the first Black ever on the Arizona Supreme Court.
The Arizona governor chose Maria Elena Cruz, now a judge on the Court of Appeals, from among the five names submitted to her by the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. By law, she was required to choose from that list.
kAmrCFK 925 366? 4@?D:56C65 E96 @55D\@? 72G@C:E6 \\ 2?5 ?@E @?=J 3642FD6 D96 H2D E96 @?=J ?@>:?66 H9@ 8@E F?2?:>@FD 2AAC@G2= 7C@> E96 4@>>:DD:@?] xE 2=D@ 6?23=65 E96 8@G6C?@C E@ 2??@F?46 H92E 96C @77:46 42==65 2? Q9:DE@C:4Q >@>6?E 7@C pC:K@?2]k^Am
kAmw@33D[ 9@H6G6C[ 3C:DE=65 H96? 2D<65 23@FE 9@H :>A@CE2?E :E H2D E@ 96C E@ 49@@D6 2 q=24< {2E:?2]k^Am
kAmQs@ ?@E :?DF=E H:E9 E9:D BF6DE:@?[Q D96 C6DA@?565] Q$96 :D 6>:?6?E=J BF2=:7:65]Qk^Am
kAmqFE rCFK D2:5 E96C6 :D 2 8@@5 C62D@? 7@C 92G:?8 D@>6@?6 H:E9 96C 324<8C@F?5 2?5 H9@ =@@<D =:<6 96C @? E96 4@FCE]k^Am
kAmQ|J BF6DE:@? H@F=5 36 E96 @AA@D:E6i (9J D9@F=5 E96 4@FCED k6>m?@Ek^6>m C67=64E E96 A@AF=2E:@?n D96 D2:5] Q(9J D9@F=5 2 DE2E6 E92E :D D@ 5:G6CD6 92G6 2 $FAC6>6 r@FCE E92E =@@<D =:<6 @?6 C24:2= 2DA64E @7 @FC DE2E6]Qk^Am
kAmrCFK D2:5 E92E :D @3G:@FD :? =@@<:?8 2E E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 DE2E6]k^Am
kAmQ%96 724E E92E H6VG6 925 ch ;FDE:46D 2?5 @?=J 925 7:G6 H@>6? 5@6D ?@E 6?86?56C ECFDE 7C@> 4:E:K6?D :? E96 4@FCE[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D @?6 w:DA2?:4i y@9? {@A6K H9@ ;@:?65 E96 9:89 4@FCE :? a_`f 27E6C 36:?8 E2AA65 3J E96?\v@G] s@F8 sF46J]k^Am
kAmQ%96 4@FCED 2C6 2? 6IAC6DD:@? @7 A6@A=6VD D6=7\8@G6C?2?46[ C:89EnQ rCFK D2:5] Qp?5 :7 H6 2C6 D6=7\8@G6C?:?8[ E96? E96 4@FCE D9@F=5 36 E96 VD6=7]VQk^Am
kAmp?5 E96C6VD D@>6E9:?8 6=D6]k^Am
kAm$96 A@:?E65 @FE E96 pC:K@?2 r@?DE:EFE:@? C6BF:C6D 3@E9 E96 4@>>:DD:@? E92E D4C66?D 2AA=:42?ED 2?5 E96 8@G6C?@C 96CD6=7 E@ Q4@?D:56C E96 5:G6CD:EJ @7 E96 DE2E6VD A@AF=2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAmrCFK[ 7C@> *F>2[ C6A=246D #@36CE qCFE:?6=[ H9@ C6E:C65 2E E96 6?5 @7 =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAmr9:67 yFDE:46 p?? $4@EE %:>>6C A@:?E65 @FE E92E qCFE:?6= H2D E96 @?=J @?6 @7 E96 D6G6? ;FDE:46D H9@ 42>6 7C@> @FED:56 @7 |2C:4@A2 r@F?EJ] p?5 D96 D2:5 E96C6 :D ?@ 86@8C2A9:4 5:G6CD:EJ C6BF:C6>6?E 7@C E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE \\ ?@C[ D96 D2:5[ 2 QCFC2= A6CDA64E:G6 @? H92E E96 =2H :D]Qk^Am
kAmQw@H6G6C[ E96C6 :D 2 EC6>6?5@FD ?665 7@C 2 CFC2= A6CDA64E:G6 @? E96 C68F=2E@CJ 2DA64ED @7 E96 4@FCE[Q %:>>6C D2:5] $96 D2:5 E92E :D :>A@CE2?E H96? E96 4@FCE :D 4@?D:56C:?8 ?6H CF=6D 2?5 C68F=2E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 E9@D6 E92E 56E6C>:?6 E96 62D6 @7 2446DD E@ E96 4@FCED[ E@ 56E6C>:?6 9@H \\ 2?5 H96E96C \\ E96J H@F=5 H@C< :? CFC2= 2C62D]k^Am
kAmQ$@ 92G:?8 D@>6@?6 7C@> *F>2[ 2?5 2 7@C>6C $FA6C:@C r@FCE ;F586 E@ 3@@E[ :D 2 EC6>6?5@FD 3@@? E@ @FC 4@FCE[Q E96 49:67 ;FDE:46 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%:>>6C[ H9@ 92D <?@H? rCFK 7@C J62CD \\ D96 E2AA65 96C E@ 36 AC6D:5:?8 ;F586 :? *F>2 r@F?EJ \\ 2=D@ 4C65:E65 96C H:E9 92G:?8 Q2 DEC@?8 G@:46]Q $96 D2:5 E92E :D :>A@CE2?E :7 rCFK :D E@ Q9@=5 96C @H? :? E96 C@@>Q H:E9 E96 @E96C D:I ;FDE:46D Q2?5 E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ 6?DFC:?8 E96 4@CC64E 564:D:@?D 2C6 >256 2E @FC 4@FCE]Qk^Am
kAmrCFK 364@>6D E96 @?=J s6>@4C2E @? E96 4@FCE H9:49 4@?D:DED @7 7@FC #6AF3=:42?D 2?5 2 A@=:E:42= :?56A6?56?E ?2>65 3J sF46J 2?5 %:>>6C[ 2=D@ 2 #6AF3=:42?[ H9@ H2D E2AA65 7@C E96 4@FCE 3J sF46J AC65646DD@C y2? qC6H6C]k^Am
kAmpE 2 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 (65?6D52J[ rCFK D2:5 :E H2D ?6G6C 96C 8@2= E@ 36 2AA@:?E65 E@ E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE]k^Am
kAmQ|J 8@2= H2D E@ D6CG6 >J 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2? 2C62 E92E :D <?@H? 2D 2 =682= 56D6CE H96C6 :EVD G6CJ 5:77:4F=E E@ 86E 2? 2EE@C?6J[Q D96 D2:5] %92E H2D 3C@F89E 9@>6[ rCFK D2:5[ H96? D96 925 2 42C 244:56?E 2?5 ?66565 2? 2EE@C?6J]k^Am
kAmQx? @C56C 7@C 2? 2EE@C?6J E@ 6G6? 8:G6 >6 2 4@?DF=E \\ x <?@H E9:D :D DEC2?86 E@ A6@A=6 :? |2C:4@A2 r@F?EJ H96C6 J@F 42?VE E2<6 EH@ DE6AD H:E9@FE CF??:?8 :?E@ 2 A6CD@?2= :?;FCJ =2HJ6C \\ 3FE >J 72E96C <?6H D@>6@?6 H9@ <?6H D@>6@?6 H9@ H2D 23=6 E@ 86E >6 2? 2AA@:?E>6?E[Q rCFK D2:5]k^Am
kAmQp?5 x D2H :? E92E A6CD@? D@>6@?6 H9@ 4@F=5 492>A:@? >J 42FD6[Q D96 4@?E:?F65] Qp?5 x E9@F89E[ V%9:D :D D@>6E9:?8 x 42? 5@ E@ 96=A G:?5:42E6 A6@A=6VD C:89ED]VQk^Am
kAmrCFK D:56DE6AA65 2 BF6DE:@? @? 96C G:6HD @? :>>:8C2E:@? :DDF6D]k^Am
kAmQ(6 5@ C64@8?:K6 E92E E96C6 2C6 7656C2= :DDF6D E92E 2C6 2E A=2J ?@H[Q D96 D2:5] qFE rCFK D2:5 E92E ;F586D 2C6 ?@E DFAA@D65 E@ 8:G6 2?DH6CD E@ =682= BF6DE:@?D E92E 2C6 ?@E 7@C>2==J 367@C6 E96 4@FCE]k^Am
kAmQ(92E x H:== D2J :D H96? E96 A6@A=6 :? @FC DE2E6[ H96E96C E96J 2C6 5:C64E=J :>A24E65 3J E96D6 A@=:4:6D 2?5 CF=6D[ H96? E96J =@@< 2E @FC 4@FCE[ ?@H 2== E96 H2J FA E@ E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE @7 @FC DE2E6[ E96JV== 36 23=6 E@ D66 E96>D6=G6D C67=64E65[ 2?5 E96JV== 92G6 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 4@?7:56?46 :? E96 724E E92E 564:D:@?D E92E 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 >256 2C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 36 >256 7C@> 2 A6CDA64E:G6 E92E 5@6D?VE E2<6 :?E@ 244@F?E E96:C 5:G6CD:EJ]Qk^Am
kAmrCFK H:== 36 DH@C? :? |@?52J]k^Am
kAmp ?2E:G6 @7 !F6CE@ #:4@[ rCFK D2:5 D96 >@G65 E@ pC:K@?2 2E 286 `c 2?5 92D 366? :? *F>2 7@C ba J62CD] p 8C25F2E6 @7 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 pC:K@?2 r@==686 @7 {2H[ D96 H@C<65 7@C E96 !:>2 2?5 =2E6C E96 *F>2 r@F?EJ 2EE@C?6JD @77:46D 367@C6 364@>:?8 2 AF3=:4 5676?56C E96C6]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 :? AC:G2E6 AC24E:46[ D96 2=D@ D6CG65 2D 2 ;F586 7@C E96 r@4@A29 x?5:2? %C:36 367@C6 36:?8 6=64E65 E@ *F>2 r@F?EJ $FA6C:@C r@FCE :? a__g H96C6 D96 D6CG65 F?E:= sF46J ?2>65 96C E@ E96 r@FCE @7 pAA62=D :? a_`f]k^Am
kAmw@33D 2=D@ >6?E:@?65 E92E rCFK[ H9:=6 2 ;F586[ H2D E2AA65 E@ >2?286 E96 $H:7E p44@F?E23=6 u2:C t?7@C46>6?E 4@FCE AC@8C2> H9:49 2:>D E@ C65F46 C64:G:5:D>] p?5 rCFK 2=D@ DE2CE65 *F>2 r@F?EJVD 7:CDE\6G6C QC6DE:EFE:@? 4@FCEQ E92E H@C<65 E@ 6?DFC6 E92E E9@D6 4@?G:4E65 @7 4C:>6D 4@>A6?D2E65 E96:C G:4E:>D]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmrCFK H2D 49@D6? 7C@> E96 =:DE @7 7:G6 ?@>:?66D DF3>:EE65 E@ w@33D 3J E96 2AA6==2E6 4@FCE ?@>:?2E:?8 4@>>:DD:@?] ~E96CD @? E92E =:DE H6C6ik^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm\ }:4@=6 s2G:D[ 56AFEJ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t4@?@>:4 $64FC:EJ 2?5 E96 286?4JVD 86?6C2= 4@F?D6=[ 2 A@=:E:42= :?56A6?56?Ejk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm\ p?5C6H y24@3D[ 2? 2EE@C?6J :? AC:G2E6 AC24E:46 2E 2 !9@6?:I =2H 7:C>[ C68:DE6C65 2D 2 s6>@4C2Ejk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm\ #68:?2 }2DD6?[ AC:?4:A2= 2DD:DE2?E 2EE@C?6J 7@C E96 4:EJ @7 %F4D@?[ H9@ :D 4FCC6?E=J C68:DE6C65 2D 2 A@=:E:42= :?56A6?56?Ejk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm\ p=6I2?56C $2>F6=D[ 2? 2DD:DE2?E DE2E6 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= H9@ :D 2 s6>@4C2E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm&?56C 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= CF=6D[ ?@ >@C6 E92? e_T @7 ?@>:?66D 42? 36 7C@> E96 D2>6 A2CEJ] p?5 D:?46 ?@ #6AF3=:42?D 2AA=:65 7@C E96 G242?4J[ E92E 7@C465 E96 A2?6= E@ D6?5 w@33D E96 ?2>6D @7 A@=:E:42= :?56A6?56?ED]k^DA2?mk^Am