Bill Montgomery (Arizona politician)
Bill Montgomery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court | |
| Assumed office September 6, 2019 | |
| Appointed by | Doug Ducey |
| Preceded by | Scott Bales |
| 28th County Attorney of Maricopa County | |
| In office November 22, 2010 – September 5, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Rick Romley (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Rachel Mitchell (acting)[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 2, 1967 Lynwood, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Arizona State University, Tempe (JD) |
William Gerard Montgomery (born March 2, 1967) is an American attorney who has served as a justice of the Arizona Supreme Court since September 2019.[2] He previously served as the County Attorney for Maricopa County, Arizona from 2010 to 2019.
Early life and education
[edit]Montgomery is a West Point graduate and a Gulf War veteran. He graduated magna cum laude and was awarded the Order of the Coif from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 2001.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]During Montgomery's tenure, the county attorney's office gained national recognition for its Restitution Specialist and Sex Assault Backlog programs.[3]
While serving as the County Attorney, Montgomery called for formal written protocols to address use of force incidents[4] and served as the Arizona State Director for the National District Attorneys Association.[5]
In August 2019, attorneys for Jodi Arias filed an ethics complaint against Montgomery, claiming he covered up misconduct and harassment by the lead prosecutor on the case.[6] The complaint was later dismissed following a nearly 14-month screening process by the State Bar that found no evidence of any misconduct by Montgomery.[7]
Elections
[edit]Arizona Attorney General
[edit]
In 2006, Montgomery ran for Arizona Attorney General, losing to incumbent Terry Goddard.[8]
Maricopa County Attorney
[edit]In the 2010 special election to replace Andrew Thomas, who resigned to run for Arizona Attorney General, Montgomery defeated interim county attorney Rick Romley in the Republican Primary.[9] Montgomery went on to defeat Libertarian Michael Kielsky in the general election.[10][11]
Montgomery won election to a full term in 2012 in a rematch against Kielsky.[12] He won re-election again in 2016 against Democrat Diego Rodriguez[13]
Arizona Supreme Court appointment
[edit]In January 2019, Montgomery applied for an appointment to a vacancy in the Arizona Supreme Court.[14] The commission did not pass Montgomery's name to the governor, which is required for a judicial apportionment, citing "concerns over the pattern of misconduct at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and a lack of relevant professional experience."[15]
In June 2019, Montgomery applied for a second vacancy on the Arizona Supreme Court.[16] This time, after Governor Doug Ducey replaced several members of the state judicial nominating commission,[17] Montgomery's name was sent to the governor, who selected him for the supreme court seat on September 4, 2019.[18] Montgomery was sworn into office on September 6, 2019.[19][20]
References
[edit]- ^ Castle, Lauren; Boehm, Jessica (September 4, 2019). "Who will replace Bill Montgomery as Maricopa County attorney?". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ Polletta, Maria (September 4, 2019). "Gov. Doug Ducey appoints Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery to Arizona Supreme Court". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ "County Attorney's Office earns recognition for two programs". Scottsdale Independent. May 3, 2017.
- ^ Montgomery, Bill (September 6, 2017). "The Time to Prepare for a Police Shooting Is Before It Happens". Route Fifty.
- ^ "Bill Montgomery Named Co-Chair of Metropolitan Prosecutors Committee for National District Attorneys" (Press release). Phoenix: Maricopa County Attorney's Office. November 18, 2016.
- ^ Blasius, Melissa (September 3, 2019). "Ethics complaint filed against Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery". KNXV.
- ^ Rosenblatt, Dillon (2020-12-04). "Ethics complaint against state justice dismissed | Arizona Capitol Times". Retrieved 2021-10-07.
- ^ Kiefer, Michael (July 23, 2010). "County attorney candidate Bill Montgomery differentiates self from ex-bosses". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ "Montgomery, Arpaio beat Romley". Phoenix Business Journal. August 25, 2010.
- ^ "Romley named interim Maricopa county attorney". East Valley Tribune. April 15, 2010.
- ^ "November 2, 2010 – Final Official Results" (PDF). maricopa.gov.
- ^ "November 6, 2012 – Final Official Results" (PDF). maricopa.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 15, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
- ^ "November 8, 2016 – Final Official Results" (PDF). maricopa.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 16, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ Boehm, Jessica; Sanchez, Yvonne Wingett (January 25, 2019). "Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery seeks appointment to Arizona Supreme Court". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ Protesters Say Bill Montgomery Shouldn't Be on State Supreme Court
- ^ Fischer, Howard (July 24, 2019). "Montgomery supporters line up in bid for Supreme Court". Arizona Capitol Times.
- ^ Montini, EJ (September 4, 2019). "Gov. Doug Ducey's rigged system gets Bill Montgomery on the Arizona Supreme Court". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ Cooper, Jonathan J. (September 5, 2019). "Ducey appoints Montgomery to Arizona Supreme Court". Arizona Public Media. Associated Press.
- ^ Steller, Tim (September 7, 2019). "Tim Steller's opinion: Ducey degrades once-proud Arizona judicial institutions". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ Rosenblatt, Dillon (September 6, 2019). "Montgomery swears in as newest Supreme Court Justice". Arizona Capitol Times. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
External links
[edit]- Biography at Ballotpedia
- Vacancy Application. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019.
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