01/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/09/2026 18:18
Phoenix, AZ - Today, Governor Katie Hobbs announced the appointment of Jessica S. Sanchez and B. Don Taylor III to the Maricopa County Superior Court. Since 2007, Sanchez has practiced law primarily in the field of education, advising and representing school districts and charter schools on issues such as employment law and constitutional law. She served on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Arizona from 2017 to 2024, including as president from 2022 to 2023. She has also served as the President of Los Abogados and a co-chair of the Latina Mentoring Project, as well as on numerous Arizona Supreme Court committees, including the Arizona Judicial Council and the Judicial Performance Review Task Force.
Taylor has served as the presiding judge on the Phoenix Municipal Court since 2015. He was an Assistant City Prosecutor in the Phoenix City Prosecutor's Office from 1996 to 2005 before accepting a Fulbright Fellowship to study international law abroad. He subsequently served as a legal officer for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and as a law professor before returning to Phoenix in 2011 as the Phoenix Municipal Court's Executive Court Administrator.
"Each of these appointees brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to the court," said Governor Katie Hobbs. "They have shown tremendous leadership and commitment to the community, and I am confident that they will serve the people of Arizona well in their new roles."
The appointments are to fill the vacancies created by the retirement of Judges John R. Hannah and Timothy J. Ryan.