Mohave County Superior Court, Arizona

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The Mohave County Superior Court resides in Arizona. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...

* Jurisdiction
* Selection method

## Contents

* 1 Jurisdiction
* 2 Selection method
* 2.1 Judicial elections in Arizona
* 2.2 Primary election
* 2.3 General election
* 2.4 Retention election
* 3 See also
* 4 External links
* 5 Footnotes

## Jurisdiction[edit]

This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]

“  | The superior court is the state’s general jurisdiction court. It is a single entity with one or more locations in each county. Each county has at least one superior court judge. In counties with more than one superior court judge, the judges operate in numbered divisions.

Article VI § 14 of the Arizona Constitution provides the superior court with jurisdiction over:

* Cases and proceedings in which exclusive jurisdiction is not vested by law in another court.
* Equity cases that involve title to or possession of real property or the legality of any tax, assessment, toll, or municipal ordinance.
* Other cases in which the value of property in question is $1,000 or more, exclusive of interest and costs.
* Criminal cases amounting to a felony and misdemeanor cases not otherwise provided for by law.
* Forcible entry and detainer actions (evictions of renters).
* Proceedings in insolvency (but not bankruptcy, which is handled in federal court).
* Actions to prevent or stop nuisances.
* Matters of probate (wills and estates).
* Dissolution or annulment of marriages (divorces).
* Naturalization and the issuance of appropriate documents for these events.
* Special cases and proceedings not otherwise provided for and such other jurisdiction as may be provided by law.[2]

| ”

|
|

## Selection method[edit]

See also: Judicial selection in the states

See also: Assisted appointment (judicial selection) and Nonpartisan elections

The 174 judges of the Arizona Superior Court are selected in one of two ways:

* In counties with a population exceeding 250,000, judges are selected through the merit selection method. (Only Pima, Pinal, and Maricopa counties currently subscribe to this method, though the constitution provides for other counties to adopt merit selection through ballot initiative). After appointment, judges serve for two years and then must run in a yes-no retention election in the next general election. If retained, judges will go on to serve a four-year term.[3]
* In the state's other 13 counties, judges run in partisan primaries followed by nonpartisan general elections. Interim vacancies are filled through gubernatorial appointment, and newly appointed judges must run in the next general election.[3]

The chief judge of each superior court is chosen by the state supreme court. He or she serves in that capacity for the remainder of their four-year term.[3]

### Judicial elections in Arizona[edit]

See also: Arizona judicial elections

Arizona is one of five states that uses nonpartisan elections, partisan elections, and retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench, depending on the court. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.

### Primary election[edit]

Judges of the Arizona Superior Court in counties with populations under 250,000 are chosen in a partisan primary and then face nonpartisan general elections.[4]

Candidates for the Arizona Justice Courts participate in primary elections throughout the state. Candidates that advance from the partisan primary compete in the general election.[5]

### General election[edit]

Arizona general elections are held on the first Tuesday in November of every even-numbered year. If a victory margin is within one-half of one percent, there will be an automatic recount unless the defeated candidate provides a waiver to the recount.[6]

Appellate court judges as well as superior court judges in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties stand for retention.[5]

### Retention election[edit]

In counties with populations greater than 250,000—Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties—superior court judges are chosen through a merit selection system. In these counties, judges are appointed by the governor with the help of a selection commission. At the end of their term, the judges remain in office through uncontested retention elections every four years.[4][5]

Counties with populations less than 250,000 have the option to adopt the merit selection process through ballot initiative.[5]

## See also[edit]

Local Courts

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Other Arizona Courts

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* Judicial selection in the states

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## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic
* Arizona courts

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Arizona Judicial Branch, "General Jurisdiction Courts - The Superior Court," accessed May 10, 2023
2. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Arizona," archived October 2, 2014
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Maricopa County Website, "Judicial Biographies," accessed April 28, 2014
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Arizona," archived October 2, 2014
6. ↑ Arizona Election Code, "§17-16-20," accessed April 29, 2014

Arizona courts

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Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Arizona • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Arizona

State courts:

Arizona Supreme Court • Arizona Court of Appeals • Arizona Superior Court • Arizona Justice Courts • Arizona Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in Arizona • Arizona judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arizona

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