(The Center Square) — The next Arizona Supreme Court Justice will be decided from a pool of 17 people.
The list will then be boiled down to three Arizonans that Gov. Katie Hobbs will get to choose from.
Justice Robert Brutinel retired on Thursday, which left the position open. Applications, which were announced early last month, closed on Nov. 1, with the requirement that the individual is a lawyer in good standing, under 65, and has lived in Arizona for a decade at a minimum.
“The judge shall demonstrate command of relevant substantive law and procedural rules, impartiality, clarity of oral and written communications, judicial temperament and professionalism upholding public confidence in the legal system and demonstrating appropriate respect for everyone,” the standards state, The Center Square reported.
“Furthermore, the judge shall have possession of the administrative and management skills and work ethic necessary to be productive and efficient.”
The individuals who applied for the opening are Sheena S. Chiang, Ann B. Ching, Janette C. Corral, Maria Elena Cruz, Nicole C. Davis, Monica N. Bellapravalu Edelstein, D. Andrew Gaona, Andrew M. Jacobs, Shalanda M. Looney, Doreen N. McPaul, Robert J. McWhirter, Regina L. Nassen, Alexander W. Samuels, Amy D. Sells, Mikel P. Steinfeld, Barry G. Stratford and William R. Wingard.
Notably, Gaona will sometimes provide legal advice to the Hobbs administration and is considered a legal political heavyweight in the Grand Canyon State.
As for Brutinel, the 66-year-old appointee by former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer was only four years off from the required retirement age for the court. He told the Arizona Republic that the timing to step down from the court was not related to potential election litigation.
Two other justices are on the ballot on Tuesday – Clint Bolick and Kathryn King. If they are not retained, Hobbs will to choose two more people to serve on the seven-member body.
