Governor Doug Ducey appointed two breand spanking new justices to the Arizona Supreme Court this week after signing a law back in May which expanded the court from five justices to seven.
The Governor appointed John R. Lopez and Andrew Gould to the highest court in the state making them his second and third appointments to the bench. John R. Lopez served as Ducey's Solicitor General and becomes the first Hispanic ever on the court, while Andre Gould is an experiences jurist from the Arizona Court of Appeals.
The appointments however are controversial not because of the people picked, but because the appointments were made at all. Critics view the move as a play to stack the court, similar to FDR's unsuccesfull attempts with the U.S. Supreme Court. Ducey's spokesman Daniel Scarpinato told AZ Central that Ducey made the appointments:
with a very open mind,” and was “looking for people who want to be part of the judicial branch, and not the legislative branch.” They will be judges who enforce laws as written, and “not creating” new laws.
According to Tucson.com the opposition to the move from the sitting members of the court was unanimous:
“Additional justices are not required by the court’s caseload,” Chief Justice Scott Bales wrote to Ducey earlier this month. “And an expansion of the court (whatever people may otherwise think of its merits) is not warranted when other court-related needs are underfunded.”
A powerful dust storm that hit Arizona this week caused major problems for the state's…
Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes has teamed up with 44 other state attorneys general to…
Representative Eli Crane is praising a significant federal decision that could boost Arizona's mining sector…
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a civil lawsuit against what she alleges is…
Ciscomani Relaunches Colorado River Caucus Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) has relaunched the bipartisan Colorado River…
Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) has relaunched the bipartisan Colorado River Caucus to bring together the…