Maria Elena Cruz describes her path from criminal prosecution to Arizona Supreme Court

PHOENIX – Maria Elena Cruz, who will be sworn in as the newest Arizona Supreme Court justice on Monday, didn’t set out to be a judge when she started her law career.

“My interest originally was to practice in criminal law, specifically to be a prosecutor,” she told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday, a day after Gov. Katie Hobbs named her to the state’s highest court.

“I thought that the work of defending the rights of the state were lofty goals that I wanted to carry out for the length of my career.”

However, her perspective changed as she was exposed to defense work during her time as a prosecutor for the Yuma County Attorney’s Office.

“It is incredibly important for both sides to be equally prepared,” she said. “If you have a defense that is not ready to meet the brunt of the force of the government, injustices can happen. So, my career has been marked by a desire and a heart for service.”

Congratulations to Judge Maria Elena Cruz who was just named as an Arizona Supreme Court Justice by @GovernorHobbs. Judge Cruz has served more than 20 years on Arizona’s courts—getting her start in Yuma County, then the Court of Appeals, and now the state Supreme Court! pic.twitter.com/cwIXS3sA0y

— Arizona Supreme Court ⚖️ (@AZCourts) January 29, 2025

How long has Maria Elena Cruz been a judicial officer?

Cruz shifted her focus to criminal defense and eventually established a private practice. She also served as a judge for the Cocopah Indian Tribe until she was elected to the Yuma County Superior Court in 2008.

“In a smaller community like Yuma, you have the opportunity and the duty to cover every area,” the 2001 University of Arizona law school graduate said.

The longtime Yuma resident gained exposure to even more legal areas after then-Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, named her to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 2017.

All told, Cruz brings 20 years of wide-ranging experience as a judicial officer to the Arizona Supreme Court.

“It’s important for someone who’s selected for the Supreme Court to have had exposure … to all of the different areas — complex civil litigation, family cases, probate cases — all the areas that touch on Arizonans’ lives,” she said.

How Maria Elena Cruz is a historic Arizona Supreme Court pick

Cruz’s appointment to the seat formerly held by Justice Robert Brutinel, who retired last year, is historic on several levels.

She is Arizona’s first Latina and first Black justice, and just the sixth woman named to the state Supreme Court.

In addition, she is the first justice appointed by a Democratic governor since Janet Napolitano put Scott Bales on the high court 20 years ago.

“Judge Cruz, the attorney and judicial officer, is eminently qualified to serve on our state’s highest court,” Hobbs said during a press conference Wednesday. “But Judge Cruz, the person, gives me confidence she will be a justice who gives a voice to working class people in every corner of our state.”

Related

Gov. Katie Hobbs announces her 1st Arizona Supreme Court appointmentArizona Supreme Court Justice Robert Brutinel announces retirementJustice Ann A. Scott Timmer named new Arizona Supreme Court chief justicePedestrian left in critical condition after hit-and-run in west PhoenixDeveloper selected to create main street district in Peoria master-planned communityWeekend wrap: Here are the biggest Arizona news stories from July 31-Aug. 2