Maria Elena Cruz
Education and employment
Justice Cruz has served on the bench since 2005 and is the first justice of Latina and African descent to serve on the state’s highest court. Prior to her appointment to the Arizona Supreme Court, she served as a judge on the Cocopah Tribal Court, Yuma County Superior Court, and Arizona Court of Appeals. Justice Cruz obtained her J.D. from the University of Arizona’s 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. Later, she practiced in criminal defense, eventually venturing into solo practice.
Judicial record
1126 opinions where Maria Elena Cruz sat on the panel, spanning 2017–2026.
By court
By disposition
Panel votes per year
How Maria Elena Cruz's panel-seat count has shifted year by year. Overlaid with Jennifer B. Campbell for comparison (drop the overlay).
- Maria Elena Cruz
- Jennifer B. Campbell
Most-frequent co-panelists
Judges who appeared on the same opinions, ranked by overlap count. Click compare to overlay them on the chart above.
- Lawrence F. Winthrop 234 shared compare
- Randall M. Howe 161 shared compare
- Paul J. McMurdie 144 shared compare
- Diane M. Johnsen 143 shared compare
- Samuel A. Thumma 140 shared compare
- Jennifer M. Perkins 132 shared compare
- Michael J. Brown 129 shared compare
- Cynthia J. Bailey 106 shared compare
- Peter B. Swann 105 shared compare
- Jennifer B. Campbell 86 shared compare
Recent opinions
15 most recent opinions where Maria Elena Cruz sat on the panel.
| Docket | Court | Filed | Disposition | Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CV-25-0089-PR | Ariz. | 2026-07-17 | Affirmed in part | REPUBLICAN NATL COMMITTEE v. FONTES |
| CV-25-0009-PR | Ariz. | 2026-07-07 | Affirmed | MAYWALD v. TOYOTA |
| CV-24-0140-PR | Ariz. | 2026-07-06 | Affirmed | State Farm v. Balzan |
| CV-25-0036-PR | Ariz. | 2026-06-17 | Reversed and remanded | MARKHAM v. CAHAVA |
| CR-25-0203-PR | Ariz. | 2026-06-01 | Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded | State of Arizona v. Ricky Alonzo Hippensteel |
| CV-25-0070-PR | Ariz. | 2026-05-22 | Affirmed | STEPHENS v. STATE |
| CR-24-0237-PR | Ariz. | 2026-05-15 | Affirmed | State of Arizona v. Dimitri Polanco Romero |
| CV-25-0079-PR | Ariz. | 2026-05-14 | Reversed and remanded | SIMMS v. ARIZONA RACING COMMISSION |
| CV-25-0161-PR | Ariz. | 2026-04-27 | Vacated and remanded | Briana Hernandez v. Luis Arturo Loarca |
| CR-24-0300-PR | Ariz. | 2026-01-30 | Reversed and remanded | State of Arizona v. Hon. marner/haniffa |
| CR-24-0281-PR | Ariz. | 2025-11-28 | Affirmed | State of Arizona v. Asalia Guadalupe Alvarez-Soto |
| CV-24-0215-PR | Ariz. | 2025-11-28 | Affirmed and remanded | Henderson v. Hon. moskowitz/sullivan |
| CV-24-0259-PR | Ariz. | 2025-10-22 | Reversed and remanded | Henke v. Hospital |
| CV-24-0217-PR | Ariz. | 2025-08-21 | Vacated | Contreras v. Bourke |
| CR-23-0113-AP | Ariz. | 2025-08-05 | Affirmed | State of Arizona v. Jasper Phillip Rushing |