By Howard Fisher
Capitol media service
Phoenix -On Monday, Governor Katie Hobbus put his first Hispanic woman and the first black man in the Supreme Court of Arizona.
The governor chose Maria Elena Cruz, currently the judge of the appeal court, from the five names submitted to her by the appointment committee of the appeal court. By law, she had to choose from the list.
Cruz was regarded not only because he was the only candidate with unanimous approval from the committee, but also as an odd -on favorite. The governor was able to announce what her office called Arizona’s “historic” moment.
However, Hobbs broke when asked how important it was to choose a black Latina.
“Don’t humiliate this question,” she replied. “She is very qualified,” he said.
However, Cruz said that there was a legitimate reason for the person with her background and the person who looks like her in court.
“My question is the opposite. Why the court does not reflect the population? She said,” Why so diverse states have the Supreme Court like the racial aspects of our nation. “
Cruz said it was clear that it would look at the history of the nation.
“The fact that we have 49 justice and only five women do not bring the trust of court citizens,” she said. There is one Latin system. Governor Doug Ducy.
“The court is the expression of people’s self -governance, isn’t it?” “And if we are self -government, the court must be” self “. ”
And there is something else. She pointed out that the Arizona Constitution would require both the applicant and the governor to “take into account the diversity of the state population”.
Yuma’s Cruz is replaced by Robert Brutinel, who retired at the end of last year.
Burtinel pointed out that Burtinel was the only one of the seven judges from outside Maricopa County. She stated that the Supreme Court had no geographical diversity requirements -she also said, “The rural perspective on what the law is.”
“But a rural perspective on the court’s regulation aspects is very needed,” Timmar said. She said it was important if the court was considering new rules and regulations. Decide how and how to work in the rural areas in the court and rural areas.
“So it’s a tremendous benefit for our court to start someone from Yuma, and the former senior court judge,” said the Supreme Court.
Timer, who knew Cruz for years -she tapped her to be a judge in Yuma -gun -she believes she has a “strong voice.” “With the other six justice,” and contribute to making the right decision in our court. “
Cruz became the only Democratic Party member, a Republican member who is a political independent person named by Ducy and Timmar, and was robbed of the court by Ducy’s predecessor, Jan Brewaher.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the cruise was not a goal to be appointed by the Supreme Court.
“My goal was to serve my community. This is an area known as a very difficult and legal desert to get a lawyer,” she said. 。
“In order for a lawyer to consult me ​​-I know this is strange for the people of Maricopa County. Cruise said.
“And I saw a person who could defend my cause in that person,” continued. “I think this is something I can do to help me prove people’s rights.”
Cruz avoided her views on immigration issues.
“We are now aware that there is a federal issue,” she said. However, Cruz stated that the judge was not assumed that the judge would give an answer to legal questions in court.
“What I say is that when we look at our court, regardless of whether the people of our state are directly affected by these policies and rules, to our state’s Supreme Court. See you will be able to do it all the time, and they will be a little more confident in the fact that they will not be done from a viewpoint that does not consider their diversity. You will have.
Cruz is sworn on Monday.
Cruz from Puerto Rico said he moved to Arizona at the age of 14 and had been in Yuma for 32 years. After graduating from the Faculty of Law of the University of Arizona at the University of Arizona, she worked in a pima and a lawyer in Yuma -gun, and then became a public lawyer.
In a personal practice, she was a judge of the Coco Painin Dian tribe, and was elected to Yuma -gun in 2008, and served in 2017 until Ducy nominated her as an appeal court.
Hobbus also stated that Cruz was a judge, but was tapped to manage a quick -explanatory fair -explanatory court program for reducing reconciliation. Cruz has also launched the first JORT Court in Yuma -gun. This worked to guarantee that those who were convicted of crime would compensate for the victims.
Cruz was selected from the List of five candidates submitted to Hobbes by the appealing court nomination committee. Other people in the list are as follows.
-Nicole Davis, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Economic and security and a legal advisor of Agency, a political independence.
-Adrew Jacobs, a lawyer of personal care at Phoenix’s law firm, is registered as a Democratic Party.
-Regina Nassen, a lawyer of Touson City, is currently registered as a political independence.
-Alexander Samuels, a Democratic member.
According to the constitutional rules, less than 60 % of candidates can come from the same parties. The Republican members did not apply for vacant seats, so they were forced to send the name of a political independent person to the panel.
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