2 days ago · Judge Cruz is a child of working class parents, a Yuma County resident for over 30 years, and will be the first ever Latina and Black Arizonan to sit on the state’s highest court. “Judge Maria Elena Cruz has led a life dedicated to justice and service to her state and community,” said Governor Katie Hobbs.

2 days ago · Gov. Katie Hobbs has named appeals court Judge Maria Elena Cruz to the Arizona Supreme Court. Cruz is the first Latina and first Black Arizonan to serve on the state’s most influential bench.

2 days ago · Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has appointed Maria Elena Cruz to the Arizona Supreme Court. The state appellate judge from rural Yuma County will become the first Latina and the first Black person chosen for the state’s high court.

1 day ago · PHOENIX -- Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday placed the first Hispanic woman and the first Black ever on the Arizona Supreme Court. The governor chose Maria Elena Cruz, now a judge on the Court of Appeals, from among the five names submitted to her by the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. By law ...

2 days ago · “Judge Maria Elena Cruz has led a life dedicated to justice and service to her state and community,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “Her decades of work reflect not only her legal expertise, but ...

Hon. Maria Elena Cruz. Judge Cruz obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law and has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona. She began her practice of law as a prosecutor in Arizona at the Yuma County Attorney’s Office, prosecuting felony offenders.

Nov 3, 2020 · Maria Elena Cruz is a judge for Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals. She assumed office on April 12, 2017. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027. Cruz ran for re-election for the Division One judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals. She won in the retention election on November 3, 2020.