Justice Robert Brutinel will retire from the Arizona Supreme Court at the end of October, he announced Tuesday.

His retirement will allow Gov. Katie Hobbs to appoint his successor, making her the first Democrat to appoint a Supreme Court justice in more than 15 years.

Brutinel, who was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in 2010 by then-Governor Jan Brewer, wrote that she worked in law for 42 years, 28 of those as a judge. Resignation to Hobbes.

Brutinel was appointed Yavapai County Superior Court judge in 1996 by then-Republican Gov. Fife Symington.

He is scheduled to retire on October 31st.

“My decision to leave the Supreme Court was not an easy one. I will greatly miss the interesting and challenging work of the Court, and especially the wonderful people I have had the pleasure of working with,” Brutinel wrote.

He wrote that it has been a great honor to serve as the Supreme Court's chief justice and work to improve Arizona's courts, and he praised Arizona's courts for their reputation of “excellence and innovation.”

Brutinel was elected by the other justices to a five-year term and served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 2019 until current Chief Justice Ann Timmer took office in July.

Brutinel and Timmer were the only two justices on the Supreme Court. Vote against When the case came before the court in April, the court upheld a controversial, near-total abortion ban enacted in 1864.

“During my tenure, I could not have been more blessed with finer colleagues and staff on both the Appellate and Supreme Courts,” he wrote. “I now serve alongside six excellent, hard-working, fair and incredibly smart justices, and I will miss the intellectual interaction and debate with them.”

Brutinel also praised court officials for their hard work and dedication to public service.

“Judge Brutinell's retirement evokes mixed emotions,” Timmer said in a written statement. “He has faithfully served the Arizona Judiciary for almost three decades. Notably, as Arizona's 26th Chief Justice, he led the Court through a pandemic and ensured the Court operated safely to serve Arizonans. The Supreme Court is proud of Judge Brutinell and wishes him a well-deserved retirement. On a personal note, Judge Brutinell was a valued friend to all of us at the Supreme Court, and we will miss his wisdom and wit.”

In his resignation letter, Governor Brutinel wished Governor Hobbs well in his job as Governor and in the important task of appointing his successor.

Supreme Court Justice Scott Bales, the last justice appointed by a Democrat, was appointed to the court by then-Governor Janet Napolitano in 2005. He retired in 2019.

“I have been very fortunate to serve the court system and, more broadly, the people of Arizona,” Brutinel wrote. “I am proud to have served the court and leave with great confidence in the future of our judicial system, knowing that the court is in very good hands. The future of our courts is bright.”

Judge Hobbs will appoint new justices from a list of nominees submitted by the bipartisan Arizona Court of Appeals Appointments Commission.