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Bill Montgomery (Arizona politician)

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Bill Montgomery
Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 6, 2019
Appointed byDoug Ducey
Preceded byScott Bales
28th County Attorney of Maricopa County
In office
November 22, 2010 – September 5, 2019
Preceded byRick Romley (acting)
Succeeded byRachel Mitchell (acting)[1]
Personal details
Born (1967-03-02) March 2, 1967 (age 57)
Lynwood, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationUnited States Military Academy (BS)
Arizona State University, Tempe (JD)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1985–1995
Rank Captain
Battles/warsGulf War (Iraq)

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

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Montgomery is a West Point graduate and a Gulf War veteran. Commissioned as a second lieutenant, he served six and a half years of active duty in the United States Army, including as a tank commander in the first Gulf War in Iraq, ending his service as a captain.[3][4] 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

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During Montgomery's tenure, the county attorney's office gained national recognition for its Restitution Specialist and Sex Assault Backlog programs.[5]

While serving as the County Attorney, Montgomery called for formal written protocols to address use of force incidents[6] and served as the Arizona State Director for the National District Attorneys Association.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9]

Elections

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Arizona Attorney General

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Montgomery at an event in Phoenix, Arizona.

In 2006, Montgomery ran for Arizona Attorney General, losing to incumbent Terry Goddard.[10]

Maricopa County Attorney

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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.[11] Montgomery went on to defeat Libertarian Michael Kielsky in the general election.[12][13]

Montgomery won election to a full term in 2012 in a rematch against Kielsky.[14] He won re-election again in 2016 against Democrat Diego Rodriguez[15]

Arizona Supreme Court appointment

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In January 2019, Montgomery applied for an appointment to a vacancy in the Arizona Supreme Court.[16] 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."[17]

In June 2019, Montgomery applied for a second vacancy on the Arizona Supreme Court.[18] This time, after Governor Doug Ducey replaced several members of the state judicial nominating commission,[19] Montgomery's name was sent to the governor, who selected him for the supreme court seat on September 4, 2019.[20] Montgomery was sworn into office on September 6, 2019.[21][22]

References

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  1. ^ Castle, Lauren; Boehm, Jessica (September 4, 2019). "Who will replace Bill Montgomery as Maricopa County attorney?". The Arizona Republic.
  2. ^ Polletta, Maria (September 4, 2019). "Gov. Doug Ducey appoints Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery to Arizona Supreme Court". The Arizona Republic.
  3. ^ "Arizona Supreme Court Justice Bill Montgomery to Deliver 2021 Commencement Address - Arizona Christian University". Arizona Christian University News. 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  4. ^ "Justice William G. Montgomery". www.azcourts.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  5. ^ "County Attorney's Office earns recognition for two programs". Scottsdale Independent. May 3, 2017.
  6. ^ Montgomery, Bill (September 6, 2017). "The Time to Prepare for a Police Shooting Is Before It Happens". Route Fifty.
  7. ^ "Bill Montgomery Named Co-Chair of Metropolitan Prosecutors Committee for National District Attorneys" (Press release). Phoenix: Maricopa County Attorney's Office. November 18, 2016.
  8. ^ Blasius, Melissa (September 3, 2019). "Ethics complaint filed against Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery". KNXV.
  9. ^ Rosenblatt, Dillon (2020-12-04). "Ethics complaint against state justice dismissed | Arizona Capitol Times". Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  10. ^ Kiefer, Michael (July 23, 2010). "County attorney candidate Bill Montgomery differentiates self from ex-bosses". The Arizona Republic.
  11. ^ "Montgomery, Arpaio beat Romley". Phoenix Business Journal. August 25, 2010.
  12. ^ "Romley named interim Maricopa county attorney". East Valley Tribune. April 15, 2010.
  13. ^ "November 2, 2010 – Final Official Results" (PDF). maricopa.gov.
  14. ^ "November 6, 2012 – Final Official Results" (PDF). maricopa.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 15, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  15. ^ "November 8, 2016 – Final Official Results" (PDF). maricopa.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 16, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  16. ^ Boehm, Jessica; Sanchez, Yvonne Wingett (January 25, 2019). "Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery seeks appointment to Arizona Supreme Court". The Arizona Republic.
  17. ^ Protesters Say Bill Montgomery Shouldn't Be on State Supreme Court
  18. ^ Fischer, Howard (July 24, 2019). "Montgomery supporters line up in bid for Supreme Court". Arizona Capitol Times.
  19. ^ Montini, EJ (September 4, 2019). "Gov. Doug Ducey's rigged system gets Bill Montgomery on the Arizona Supreme Court". The Arizona Republic.
  20. ^ Cooper, Jonathan J. (September 5, 2019). "Ducey appoints Montgomery to Arizona Supreme Court". Arizona Public Media. Associated Press.
  21. ^ Steller, Tim (September 7, 2019). "Tim Steller's opinion: Ducey degrades once-proud Arizona judicial institutions". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  22. ^ Rosenblatt, Dillon (September 6, 2019). "Montgomery swears in as newest Supreme Court Justice". Arizona Capitol Times. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
2019–present 		Incumbent
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