PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Supreme Court has a new justice after a state court of appeals judge appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey was sworn in.
James P. Beene was sworn in by Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in a private Capitol ceremony on Monday with Ducey and the six other justices present. He replaces Justice John Pelander, who retired March 1.
Beene was an appeals court judge since 2016 and was previously a Maricopa County Superior Court judge. He also worked as a county and state prosecutor and as a legislative analyst in the Arizona Senate.
Ducey chose Beene in April from a list of five nominees chosen by the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. He will have another post to fill when Chief Justice Scott Bales retires on July 31.
