Arizona Supreme Court Justice Robert Brutinel Announces Retirement

Gov. Katie Hobbs to make first Supreme Court appointment, shifting balance on Republican-dominated court

Justice Robert Brutinel will retire effective October 31, after more than four decades of service in Arizona's judiciary.
Brutinel's retirement gives Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs a rare opportunity to appoint a justice to the state's Supreme Court.
The Arizona Supreme Court, expanded from five to seven members in 2016, is currently dominated by justices appointed by Republican governors.
Brutinel was one of two justices who dissented in a recent high-profile case reinstating an 1864 near-total abortion ban, which was later repealed.
The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments will provide a list of candidates to Gov. Hobbs by the end of the year, with Hobbs having 60 days to make her selection.