Arizona State Senator Anthony Kern (R-Glendale) released a statement Wednesday, announcing the resignation of Catherine Sigmon, appointed by Governor Katie Hobbs to the Maricopa County Commission on Trial Court Appointments (MCCTCA), after finding she would not be fit for the position.
“After reviewing the Constitutional requirements for the Commission on Trial Court Appointments, two big factors jump out at me,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Kern. “First, the Commission is to be non-partisan. Second, the Commission’s primary task is to recommend qualified judge candidates to the Governor for appointment. Based on initial vetting of Ms. Sigmon, it’s quite clear she’s an extremist who wants to portray the role of ‘non-partisan,'”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Extremist Appointed by Hobbs to Influential Judicial Commission Resigns Amid Questionable Conduct pic.twitter.com/0JkddBjMg8
— AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) April 26, 2023
The Arizona Sun Times reached but to the governor’s office for a response but did not hear back before press time.
The Commission was established under Arizona Constitution Article 6 § 41. Under this law, the Commission consists of 16 members, including five attorneys, ten members of the public, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who serves as the committee chair. When there are vacancies in the Maricopa County Superior Court, the committee members are responsible for accepting applications, judging them based on merit, and providing a list of three finalists to the Governor to decide who gets the position.
Sigmon would have filled one of the committee positions until she voluntarily resigned, and Hobbs removed her appointment on Tuesday. According to the Senate Judiciary Committee agenda, Sigmon was meant to appear before lawmakers on Thursday morning for a confirmation meeting, but that meeting is now canceled.
However, Kern (pictured above, left) implied that the meeting would not have gone well for Sigmon because of her past actions involving Arizona judges. Sigmon co-founded Civic Engagement Beyond Voting (CEBV), a progressive-leaning grassroots advocacy organization. Part of CEBV’s goal is to keep Arizonans informed when it comes time to vote in an election, which includes providing a Gavel Watch Report (GWR), which gives recommendations on which judges should be retained.
According to the organization’s 2022 Ballot Guide, the GWR points out which judges are impartial or bring their personal biases into the courtroom. The CEBV comes to these conclusions by examining the judge’s background, “work history and professional affiliations,” if they are a member of the Federalist Society, a Conservative/Libertarian law group, and the judge’s opinion on “high-profile cases.”
However, Kern alleged that because the GWR judges on personal opinion and associations rather than merit, it shows that Sigmon may not have been an impartial voice on the MCCTCA. Moreover, he said Hobbs should have recognized this before appointing her.
“Hobbs would have realized this, had she done her own vetting prior to appointing Ms. Sigmon to the Commission. However, as Hobbs has shown, vetting is not at the top of her ‘to-do’ list. As such, we’re thankful that Ms. Sigmon realized she likely would not be a proper fit for the job and resigned. We’re looking forward to Hobbs providing us with a more reasonable appointment,” Kern said.
With Sigmon’s resignation, she joins the ranks of Hobbs’s staffing choices that were either denied, removed from office, or quit. Most recently, Hobbs’s press secretary, Josselyn Berry, resigned after making a controversial tweet suggesting violence against anyone critical of the transgender movement. Additionally, Hobbs’s pick to lead the Department of Child Safety, Matthew Stewart, was reportedly forced to resign after three months after demonstrating questionable behavior.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Anthony Kern” by Anthony Kern. Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Katie Hobbs. Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
