Judicial Openings and Appointments

 

Public Asked for Input on Candidates for Vacancies on Superior Court in Maricopa County

 

PHOENIX - The public is invited to comment on 15 candidates for three vacancies on the Superior Court in Maricopa County created by the retirements of Hon. Pamela H. Dunne, Hon. Tracey Westerhausen and the resignation of Hon. Lisa S. Wahlin. AWLA Members are in Blue.

The candidates are:

 

Samin Adib Christian J. Bell Ramsey K. Bronyah Harla M. Davison Lacey A. Fisher Lindsay M. Hughes Kunaschk Utiki S. Laing Todd C. Lawson

Michael A. Minicozzi Christopher A. Nichols Michael P. Obert, Jr. Ashley B. Rahaman Sarah E. Selzer Joshua M. Whitaker Kirsten J. Wright

 

Candidate applications can be viewed online at the Commission’s website, azcourts.gov/jnc [azcourts.gov]

 

The Commission will meet to interview the candidates on Mar. 2, 2026. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and be held in Conference Room 101 at the Arizona State Courts Building - 1501 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007. The interview agenda will be posted on the Commission’s website at least seven days prior to the meeting.

 

Members of the public may address the Commission on Mar. 2, 2026. Written comments may also be submitted via email to jnc@courts.az.gov or mailed to 1501 W. Washington St., Suite 221, Phoenix, AZ 85007. It is not necessary to submit multiple copies of written comments - email is preferred. Comments must be received no later than Feb. 25, 2026, to be considered. Anonymous comments cannot be considered.

 

After the interviews, the Commission will recommend at least three nominees for each opening to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who will appoint the new judges.

10 Nominees Announced for Opening on Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals

January 9, 2026

PHOENIX - The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments has recommended 10 nominees to Gov. Katie Hobbs for an opening on Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals. AWLA Members are in Blue.

The nominees for the opening created by the retirement of Hon. Paul J. McMurdie are:

• Molly P. Brizgys, Independent, attorney at Mitchell Stein Carey Chapman, PC
• Sheena S. Chiang, Democrat, owner of the Law Office of Sheena Chiang, PLLC
• D. Andrew Gaona, Democrat, partner with Coppersmith Brockelman, PLC
• Grace M. Guisewite, Independent, public defender at the Maricopa County Office of the Legal Advocate
• Karen L. Johnson Stillwell, Independent, assistant chief counsel with the City of Phoenix
• Alice M. Jones, Democrat, deputy solicitor general at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office
• Alexander W. Samuels, Democrat, Principal Deputy Solicitor General at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office
• Mikel P. Steinfeld, Democrat, attorney supervisor at the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office
• Barry G. Stratford, Independent, partner with Perkins Coie, LLP
• Erik Thorson, Democrat, Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County

The nominees’ applications can be viewed on the Commission’s website, azcourts.gov/jnc. 

Gov. Katie Hobbs will make the appointment.

Governor Hobbs Announces Appointment of AWLA Member Jessica Sanchez and Don Taylor to Maricopa County Superior Court

News Release January 9, 2026

Phoenix, AZ – Today, Governor Katie Hobbs announced the appointment of Jessica S. Sanchez and B. Don Taylor III to the Maricopa County Superior Court. Since 2007, Sanchez has practiced law primarily in the field of education, advising and representing school districts and charter schools on issues such as employment law and constitutional law. She served on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Arizona from 2017 to 2024, including as president from 2022 to 2023. She has also served as the President of Los Abogados and a co-chair of the Latina Mentoring Project, as well as on numerous Arizona Supreme Court committees, including the Arizona Judicial Council and the Judicial Performance Review Task Force.

Taylor has served as the presiding judge on the Phoenix Municipal Court since 2015. He was an Assistant City Prosecutor in the Phoenix City Prosecutor’s Office from 1996 to 2005 before accepting a Fulbright Fellowship to study international law abroad. He subsequently served as a legal officer for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and as a law professor before returning to Phoenix in 2011 as the Phoenix Municipal Court’s Executive Court Administrator.

“Each of these appointees brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to the court,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “They have shown tremendous leadership and commitment to the community, and I am confident that they will serve the people of Arizona well in their new roles.”

The appointments are to fill the vacancies created by the retirement of Judges John R. Hannah and Timothy J. Ryan.

City of Tempe
Presiding Judge

Presiding Judge

 

Interested applicants should submit a completed application packet that contains the items listed below. Application packets submitted without all the required items will not begiven further consideration. The Supplemental Application Materials and Questions document is provided in both PDF and Word formats, please only submit one (1).

1. Application (PDF) | Application (Word)
2. Resume
3. Supplemental Application Materials (PDF) | Supplemental Application Materials (Word)

For more information, please click here.

Judicial Nominees Announced for Openings on Superior Court in Maricopa County

November 19, 2025

PHOENIX - The Maricopa County Commission on Trial Court Appointments has recommended 10 nominees to Gov. Katie Hobbs for the two openings on the Superior Court in Maricopa County. AWLA Members are in Blue.

The nominees for the openings created by the retirement of Hon. Timothy J. Ryan and Hon. John R. Hannah are:

Harla M. Davison, Democrat, Commissioner with the Superior Court in Maricopa County.
Lindsay M. Hughes, Republican, Associate Presiding Commissioner with the Superior Court in Maricopa County.
Utiki S. Laing, Democrat, Commissioner with the Superior Court in Maricopa County
Addison B. Owen, Republican, Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S Attorney’s Office.
Ashley B. Rahaman, Democrat, Commissioner with the Superior Court in Maricopa County.
Jessica S. Sanchez, Independent, Equity Partner with Udall Shumway P.L.C.
Sarah E. Selzer, Democrat, Commissioner with the Superior Court in Maricopa County.
Jonathan C. Simon, Independent, Commissioner with the Superior Court in Maricopa County.
B. Don Taylor III, Democrat, Chief Presiding Judge at the Phoenix Municipal Court.
Kirsten J. Wright, Democrat, Division Chief Counsel in the Child and Family Protection Division at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Gov. Hobbs will make the appointments.

Governor Hobbs Announces Appointment of Elizabeth Bingert and Rachel Hernandez to Maricopa County Superior Court

October 16, 2025

Phoenix, AZ – Today, Governor Katie Hobbs announced the appointment of Elizabeth T. Bingert and Rachel C. Hernandez to the Maricopa County Superior Court. Bingert has served as a court commissioner since 2021 and previously served in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office. Outside of those roles, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, including founding ROBES (Reaching Out and Building Engagement through Service), a judicial community service organization.

Hernandez served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona for over 25 years. She established herself as a leader both inside the office and out, having served as the President of the Arizona Bar Foundation, worked on numerous committees with the Arizona State Bar, as well as held leadership roles in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including as First Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2021 until earlier this year.

“I am proud to appoint two career public servants to the bench,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “Both Elizabeth Bingert and Rachel Hernandez have shown not only that they have the skills necessary to be effective judges, but that they are entering their new roles committed to serving the people of Arizona and improving access to justice.”

The appointments are to fill the vacancies created by the retirement of Judges Michael W. Kemp and M. Scott McCoy.