On Wednesday, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs appointed Maria Elena Cruz to the Arizona Supreme Court, marking a historic milestone as Cruz becomes the first Latina and the first Black person selected for the state’s highest court. This appointment is particularly significant, as it is the first Supreme Court appointment made by a Democratic governor in Arizona since 2005. It also introduces increased diversity—racially, geographically, and politically—into the predominantly Republican seven-member court.
Since the establishment of the Arizona Supreme Court in 1912, there has never been a justice who identified as Black, and only one justice, John Lopez, has been of Latino descent. Maria Elena Cruz, a registered Democrat, is now not only the second person of Hispanic heritage to be named to the court but also the first individual of African descent. Prior to this appointment, the other six justices were selected by previous Republican governors Doug Ducey and Jan Brewer, all of whom resided in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, Arizona’s largest city.
The recent retirement of Justice Robert Brutinel on October 31 presented Governor Hobbs with a rare opportunity to fill a vacant position on the court. The justices have faced scrutiny in recent years for rulings on contentious issues such as abortion and elections, which have led to allegations of political bias in their decisions.
In accordance with Arizona law, the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments is required to provide the governor with a minimum of three nominations. On December 9, the commission—chaired by Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer—interviewed eight candidates and ultimately presented a shortlist of five to Governor Hobbs, who had 60 days to make her selection.
Born in New York to a Puerto Rican father and a Dominican mother, Cruz moved with her family to Yuma County, Arizona, at the age of 14. During her earlier years, she was a student at Arizona Western College and worked as an elementary school teacher. However, a life-changing car accident prompted Cruz to seek legal representation, which ultimately led her to engage with a lawyer—an encounter that inspired her to pursue a legal career. After learning about the necessity of law school and passing the bar exam, Cruz made the decision to leave her teaching job to focus on earning a law degree.
Cruz graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arizona in 1998 and went on to earn her Juris Doctor from the university's James E. Rogers College of Law in 2001. She has held several legal positions, including law clerk for the Pima County Attorney’s Office, a prosecutor for the Yuma County Attorney’s Office, and a criminal defense attorney in private practice. In 2005, Cruz assumed the role of judge pro-tem for the Cocopah Indian Tribe and served as a judge for Yuma County Superior Court from 2009 to 2017.
Since 2017, Cruz has served as a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals, having been appointed by Governor Ducey. Notably, she was his first nomination of a Democrat for a state appellate court position. Cruz's appointment is hoped to foster a more comprehensive representation on the Arizona Supreme Court as it addresses pivotal legal matters affecting the state and its residents.
