Two Vacancies on the Superior Court in Maricopa County

Jan. 2, 2026

 

Contact: Rachel Mackie
602-452-3308

 

Applications Being Accepted for Two Vacancies on the Superior Court in Maricopa County

 

PHOENIX - Applications are being accepted for two vacancies on the Superior Court in Maricopa County created by the upcoming retirement of Hon. Tracey Westerhausen and the resignation of Hon. Lisa S. Wahlin.

 

The Maricopa County Commission on Trial Court Appointments will review applications, interview selected applicants and recommend at least three nominees for each vacancy to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who will appoint the new judges.

 

The most current judicial application form can be downloaded at the Judicial Nominating Commission website: azcourts.gov/jnc [azcourts.gov]. Applications may also be obtained from the Administrative Office of the Courts, Human Resources Department, 1501 W. Washington, Suite 221, Phoenix, by calling 602-452-3311, or by sending an email request to jnc@courts.az.gov.

 

Applicants must be at least 30 years of age, of good moral character, admitted to the practice of law in, and a resident of Arizona for the past five years, and a resident of Maricopa County for the past year.

 

A signed and searchable PDF application with all attachments must be digitally submitted by 12 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2026. Please review the application instructions for guidance on submitting your electronic application. 

 

Applicants for the recent vacancies in Maricopa County DO NOT need to reapply to be considered for the new vacancies.

 

The Commission may, at its discretion, use applications filed for these vacancies to nominate candidates for any additional vacancies known to the Commission before the screening meeting for these vacancies is held. 

 

All meetings of the Maricopa County Commission on Trial Court Appointments are open to the public. Meeting dates will be announced.

 

The current annual salary of a Superior Court judge is $200,000.

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.

Public Asked for Input on Candidates for Vacancy in Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals

 

PHOENIX - The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments is asking for public comment on 15 candidates for the vacancy in Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals created by the retirement of Hon. Paul J. McMurdie. AWLA Members are highlighted in Blue Below.

 

The candidates are:

 

Molly P. Brizgys Sheena S. Chiang D. Andrew Gaona Grace M. Guisewite Ashley V. Halvorson Karen L. Johnson Stillwell Alice M. Jones Randal B. McDonald III

Timothy W. Overton Alexander W. Samuels Amy D. Sells Mikel P. Steinfeld Barry G. Stratford Erik Thorson Cassie B. Woo

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

 

The Commission will meet to interview the candidates on Jan. 8. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. and be held in Conference Room 101 of the Arizona State Courts Building, 1501 W. Washington, 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 Jan. 8. Written comments may also be submitted via email to jnc@courts.az.gov or mailed to 1501 W. Washington, 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 Jan. 5 to be considered. Anonymous comments cannot be considered.

 

Following the interviews, the Commission will recommend at least three nominees to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who will appoint the new judge.

 

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.