Current and former chief justices of the Arizona Supreme Court say the addition of two more justices didn’t make it more efficient, one of the expectations stated by Gov. Doug Ducey in 2016 when he signed the expansion legislation.
Chief Justice Robert Brutinel told the Arizona Capitol Times that the increase to seven justices made the court less efficient because two more justices and their law clerks now review draft opinions before they’re issued.
Similarly, former Chief Justice Scott Bales said he still does not believe the expansion made the court more efficient.
Both Bales and Brutinel said the court had the capacity to handle its caseload without expansion.
