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
5 opinions where Maria Elena Cruz sat on the panel, spanning 2026–2026.
By court
Panel votes per year
How Maria Elena Cruz's panel-seat count has shifted year by year. Overlaid with Virginia C. Kelly for comparison (drop the overlay).
- Maria Elena Cruz
- Virginia C. Kelly
Most-frequent co-panelists
Judges who appeared on the same opinions, ranked by overlap count. Click compare to overlay them on the chart above.
- Ann A. Scott Timmer 5 shared compare
- James P. Beene 5 shared compare
- Kathryn H. King 5 shared compare
- Lopez 5 shared compare
- Clint Bolick 4 shared compare
- William G. Montgomery 2 shared compare
- Virginia C. Kelly 1 shared compare
Recent opinions
15 most recent opinions where Maria Elena Cruz sat on the panel.
| Docket | Court | Filed | Disposition | Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR-25-0203-PR | Ariz. | 2026-06-01 | — | State of Arizona v. Ricky Alonzo Hippensteel |
| CV-25-0070-PR | Ariz. | 2026-05-22 | — | STEPHENS v. STATE |
| CR-24-0237-PR | Ariz. | 2026-05-15 | — | State of Arizona v. Dimitri Polanco Romero |
| CV-25-0079-PR | Ariz. | 2026-05-14 | — | SIMMS v. ARIZONA RACING COMMISSION |
| CV-25-0161-PR | Ariz. | 2026-04-27 | — | Briana Hernandez v. Luis Arturo Loarca |