Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) made four judicial appointments on April 24, becoming the governor who has made the most judicial appointments in state history. Ducey has appointed 71 judges since taking office, overtaking the previous record of 68 appointments made by former Gov. Bruce Babbitt (D). Babbitt held office from 1978 to 1987. Ducey has been in office since 2015.
Ducey appointed Cynthia Bailey to the Arizona Court of Appeals, the state’s intermediate appellate court. Bailey replaces Diane Johnsen, who retired in January.
Ducey also appointed three judges to the Maricopa County Superior Court. Marvin Davis, Suzanne Nicholls, and Michael Rassas replace Karen O’Connor, Erin O’Brien Otis, and Jose Padilla, respectively. The vacancies were created when O’Connor retired and Otis and Padilla resigned. The judicial positions are nonpartisan, but media sources reported that Bailey, Nicholls, and Rassas are affiliated with the Republican Party, while Davis is affiliated with the Democratic Party.
Bailey’s elevation to the appellate court creates another vacancy on the Maricopa County Superior Court. The court began accepting applications at the end of April 2020 for Bailey’s seat and two other upcoming vacancies on the bench, which means Ducey will have at least several more judicial appointments to make before the summer starts.
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