Gov. Ducey appoints Court of Appeals, Maricopa County Superior Court judges
Apr 26, 2020, 4:05 PM
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday announced he appointed three judges to the Maricopa County Superior Court and one judge to the Arizona Court of Appeals.
Republican Cynthia Bailey was selected by Ducey from a list of 10 nominees to fill the open spot on the Arizona Court of Appeals after Democratic Judge Diane M. Johnsen resigned, according to a press release.
Bailey comes to the Arizona Court of Appeals after serving as a judge for the Maricopa County Superior Court for eight years.
Marvin Davis, Suzanne Nicholls and Michael Rassas were tapped by Ducey to fill vacancies at the Maricopa County Superior Court due to the retirement of Judge Karen O’Connor and resignations of Judges Erin O’Brien Otis and Jose S. Padilla, it was announced in a separate press release.
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Nicholls and Rassas are Republicans, while Davis is a Democrat. The three were chosen from a list of 13 nominees.
Davis has served as Commissioner with the Maricopa County Superior Court since March 2017.
Nicholls, meanwhile, has represented parents and families in dependency actions with the Maricopa County Office of the Public Advocate for four years.
Rassas has provided legal advice and representation to the Arizona Department of Transportation and Arizona Department of Public Safety at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office since 2017.
All four of the judges appointed by Ducey received their education in Arizona, as Rassas, Nicholls and Bailey earned degrees from Arizona State University while Davis holds a degree from both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona.
Nicholls also has a degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
Ducey can fill vacancies on the Arizona Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and Superior Court benches in Maricopa, Pima, Pinal and Coconino by selecting from a list of nominees presented by commissions that screen the applicants due to Arizona’s merit selection system.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
