The Pima County Commission on Trial Court Appointments announced on Apr. 9 that it is seeking public input regarding nine candidates for a vacancy on the Superior Court in Pima County, following the retirement of Judge Joan L. Wagener.
This process allows community members to participate in the selection of a new judge, reflecting efforts to ensure transparency and public involvement in judicial appointments.
The commission listed Michael J. Martinez Areinoff, Nicole P. Savel, Soo Conatser, Christina M. Vejar, Marie D. Kagie-Shutey, Dawn R. Walton, T. Clayton Kamm, Antonio L. Zapata, and James W. Rappaport as the candidates under consideration for the position. Applications from these individuals are available online at azcourts.gov/jnc for public review.
Interviews with all nine candidates will take place on Apr. 30 at 8:30 a.m., held at the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division II Conference Room in Tucson. The agenda will be posted online at least seven days before the meeting date.
Members of the public can address the commission during this meeting or submit written comments by email or mail by Apr. 27; anonymous submissions will not be considered and only one copy is necessary if submitting comments in writing.
After completing interviews and reviewing feedback from the community, the commission will recommend at least three nominees to Governor Katie Hobbs for final appointment to fill this judicial vacancy.
According to the official website, the Arizona Supreme Court operates from Phoenix and ensures fair administration of justice statewide as Arizona’s top court system authority. The court is led by a chief justice chosen by peers every five years and reviews appeals from lower courts—including automatic review of death penalty cases—while working with bodies such as the Commission on Judicial Conduct. It supervises all state courts and manages attorney regulations through its seven justices serving staggered terms. A significant change came with a constitutional amendment in 1960 granting greater administrative authority.
