Judge Currently Seated

Michael S. Catlett

Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One

Portrait of Michael S. Catlett
Education and employment

An Arizona native, Michael S. Catlett was appointed to Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals by Governor Doug Ducey in 2022. From 2020 to 2023, Judge Catlett worked at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office as Deputy Solicitor General and Chief Counsel of Special Litigation, representing the State of Arizona and the Arizona Attorney General in trial and appellate courts. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Judge Catlett was a complex commercial and appellate litigator in private practice with the law firms of Quarles & Brady LLP (Associate 2010-2014, Partner 2014-2020) and Osborn Maledon, P.A. (Associate 2007-2010). After graduating from law school, Judge Catlett served a one-year clerkship (2006-2007) with the Hon. Paul J. Kelly, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Judge Catlett received his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in finance from Arizona State University. Judge Catlett received his law degree summa cum laude and order of the coif from the University of Arizona College of Law, where he was Editor-In-Chief of the Arizona Law Review. Judge Catlett has been a member of the Arizona State Bar’s Civil Practice and Procedure Committee and is an author of a chapter in the Arizona Attorneys’ Fee Manual. Judge Catlett has also been a professor of practice at the University of Arizona College of Law, co-teaching a course on Government Liability. Judge Catlett has donated his time to provide pro bono legal services through the Federal Court Pro Se Litigant Clinic and the Ninth Circuit’s Pro Bono program and has volunteered as a youth basketball coach.

Judicial record

298 opinions where Michael S. Catlett sat on the panel, spanning 2023–2026.

109 Majority authored
189 Joined majority

By court

  • Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 298

By disposition

  • Affirmed 194
  • Mixed 32
  • Vacated 25
  • Denied 25
  • Granted 6
  • Reversed 6
  • Dismissed 4
  • Remanded 2

Panel votes per year

How Michael S. Catlett's panel-seat count has shifted year by year. Add ?vs=<another-judge-slug> to the URL to overlay a second judge, or click compare next to any co-panelist below.

0 20 40 60 80 100 2023 2024 2025 2026 2023: 68 votes — Michael S. Catlett 2024: 98 votes — Michael S. Catlett 2025: 94 votes — Michael S. Catlett 2026: 38 votes — Michael S. Catlett
  • Michael S. Catlett

Most-frequent co-panelists

Judges who appeared on the same opinions, ranked by overlap count. Click compare to overlay them on the chart above.

Recent opinions

15 most recent opinions where Michael S. Catlett sat on the panel.

Docket Court Filed Disposition Case
1 CA-CR 25-0466 PRPC Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-07-22 Denied State v. Quintero
1 CA-JV 26-0013 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-07-20 Affirmed In Re Term of Parental Rights as to J.W.
1 CA-CV 25-0834 FC Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-07-16 Affirmed Smotek v. Martin
1 CA-CV 24-0278 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-07-08 Vacated and remanded DMB REALCO v. MARISCAL
1 CA-CV 25-0402 PB Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-04-15 Affirmed in part; vacated and remanded in part GOVUVEIA v. GRULER
1 CA-CR 25-0327 PRPC Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-30 Denied State v. Norris
1 CA-CR 24-0616 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-30 Affirmed State v. Jones
1 CA-CR 24-0689 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-30 Affirmed State v. Chambers
1 CA-CR 25-0044 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-30 Affirmed State v. Oricho
1 CA-CV 25-0154 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-20 Vacated and remanded BELSANTI v. KUTAK ROCK
1 CA-JV 25-0196 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-18 Affirmed In Re Dependency as to S.K.
1 CA-CR 24-0662 PRPC Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-16 Denied State v. Cook
1 CA-CR 25-0289 PRPC Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-13 Denied State v. Friedel
1 CA-CR 25-0279 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-03 Affirmed State v. Flores
1 CA-CR 25-0012 Ariz. Ct. App. Div. 1 2026-03-02 Affirmed State v. Whipple