Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has appointed Judge Maria Elena Cruz of the Arizona Court of Appeals as the state’s newest associate justice of the Supreme Court. Cruz fills the vacancy created by former Justice Robert Brutinel’s retirement in October.
“I am humbled to have garnered the trust and confidence to carry out the important role of an Arizona Supreme Court Justice for the people of Arizona, a state that I love,” Cruz said. “I will do the work of applying the law fairly while acknowledging that access to justice remains a challenge. There is much work to be done to ensure that poverty and lack of education no longer serve as barriers for Arizonans seeking to understand and utilize our legal system.”
Cruz has served on the bench since 2005 and will be the first justice of Latina and African descent to serve on the state’s highest court. Prior to her appointment to the Arizona Supreme Court, she served as a judge for the Cocopah Tribal Court, Yuma County Superior Court and Arizona Court of Appeals.
“Judge Cruz has a proven track record of excellence in deciding cases according to the law and with compassion in both the Yuma Superior Court and the Arizona Court of Appeals,” Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer said. “She has also demonstrated her commitment to promoting access to justice and fairness, which are primary goals in the court’s strategic agenda. Finally, her unique perspective as a former trial court judge from a rural community will greatly contribute to the court’s performance of its regulatory functions. We congratulate Justice Cruz and look forward to working with her.”
Cruz obtained her J.D. from the University ofArizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law and has a B.A. in psychology from the University of Arizona. She began her practice of law as a prosecutor at the Yuma County Attorney’s Office, prosecuting felony offenders. Later, she practiced in criminal defense, eventually venturing into solo practice.
As a solo practitioner, Cruz primarily undertook representation in criminal and family law matters and served as judge pro tempore for the Cocopah Indian Tribe. In 2008, Cruz was elected a Superior Court Judge in Yuma County and went on to serve as the county’s presiding judge. While working in Yuma County, Cruz started its first-ever restitution court, which went on to become a model for the state. She was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 2017 by then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.
As a member of the Court of Appeals, Cruz was one of three justices who ruled unanimously in the 2023 case of Bonham v. Village of Oakcreek Association that a homeowners’ association could not retroactively impose a short-term rental ban on properties within the association if owners had not been given notice of the possibility of a future restriction in the association’s original covenants.
In addition to her judicial responsibilities, Cruz serves on the Arizona Supreme Court’s Commission on Access to Justice, Task Force on Justice for All, Commission on Victims in the Court and Task Force on Public Communications.
Cruz contributes to the development of the law internationally by serving as a professor of law teaching trial advocacy in various regions within the Republic of Mexico, including Mexico City, Tijuana, Mexicali, La Paz and Guanajuato.
Arizona Supreme Court justices appear on the statewide election ballot for retention two years after their initial appointment and every six years thereafter.
