SPECIAL AUDIO PROGRAMMING: The Whistleblower Complaint, Read In Its Entirety

"AZ Law" is a new program developed for Sun Sounds of Arizona. Sun Sounds is a non-profit reading service for people with disabilities which make it difficult for them to read or hold printed material.

Most of Sun Sounds programming, therefore, is devoted to reading articles from newspapers and magazines, as well as books.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to present the Whistleblower Complaint that has prompted the formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. This instantly-historical document is presented in its entirety for streaming or downloading.

Sun Sounds listeners can stream or download the special program here, and it is being broadcast at various times.

AZ Law readers can stream or download this reading of the Whistleblower Complaint here. And, it is available on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and most other places where people find their podcasts these days.

"AZ Law" typically includes articles and updates about opinions from the Arizona Supreme Court, U.S. District Court, etc.

If you know someone who could benefit from Sun Sounds' 24/7 service, please let them know about member-supported Sun Sounds. And, YOU can donate or listen here.

Thanks for listening, and your input is appreciated - Paul.Weich.AZlaw@gmail.com.

BREAKING, UPDATE: Supreme Court Appoints Independent Counsel To Handle Ethics Complaints Against Fellow Justice Bill Montgomery, and Prosecutor Juan Martinez

Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Brutinel today appointed Independent Bar Counsel to investigate and handle an ethics complaint filed against now-fellow Justice Bill Montgomery. The order also grants the State Bar's request to hand the complaint against Maricopa County prosecutor Juan Martinez to the independent counsel.

The State Bar of Arizona's Chief Bar Counsel is permitted to request such a handoff if the office believes it "may be compromised by a specified conflict of interest or may reasonably be questioned." AZ Law has requested more information from the State Bar as to the basis for the request.

The ethics complaints against former Maricopa County Attorney Montgomery and one of his most visible prosecutors were filed on September 3. The attorneys currently representing convicted killer Jodi Arias filed the complaints, parts of which relate to the Arias case.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey named Montgomery as a Supreme Court Justice the following day. Yesterday, Acting Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell confirmed that Martinez has been reassigned from trying homicide cases, due to the ethics complaint.

Brutinel's Order (below) grants the State Bar's Chief Bar Counsel's request and assigns it to the IBC "to provide review and disposition" of the complaints. The Independent Bar Counsel's office was set up by the Supreme Court last year, and it operates from the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

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"AZ Law" airs on non-profit Sun Sounds of Arizona, a statewide reading service that provides audio access to printed material for people who cannot hold or read print material due to a disability. 

If you know someone who could benefit from this 24/7 service, please let them know about member-supported Sun Sounds. And, YOU can donate or listen here.

"AZ Law" can also be downloaded and subscribed to in all major podcast stores - iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Podbean, etc. 

LISTEN: "AZ Law's" Sept. 21, 2019 Installment - Brush & Nib Articles/Opinions, New Trump Nominee For Arizona Bench

This broadcast installment becomes something of a symposium on the Arizona Supreme Court's controversial decision in the Brush & Nib case - involving the tension between religious freedom and discrimination against same-sex couples.  We feature articles and commentaries from several different perspectives.

We conclude with an article on President Trump nominating a Tucson judge for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench in Arizona.

Here is the Supreme Court's opinion(s) in Brush & Nib. Portions of it will be recorded for the next on-demand installment of AZ Law on Sun Sounds.

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"AZ Law" airs on non-profit Sun Sounds of Arizona, a statewide reading service that provides audio access to printed material for people who cannot hold or read print material due to a disability. 

If you know someone who could benefit from this 24/7 service, please let them know about member-supported Sun Sounds. And, YOU can donate or listen here.

"AZ Law" can also be downloaded and subscribed to in all major podcast stores - iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Podbean, etc. 

NEW: Trump Taps Tucson Jurist For U.S. District Court Judgeship

President Donald Trump has nominated Pima County Superior Court Judge Scott Rash to fill a vacant judgeship on the U.S. District bench in Tucson. The nomination was announced last week but has not been reported in the Arizona media, although the lifetime appointment is a key one for Arizona courts.

Rash is currently the presiding Family Court judge and has been on the Superior Court bench since 2010. He previously worked in private practice on civil litigation and with the Arizona Attorney General's Office in criminal prosecution. He attended University of Arizona for both undergraduate and law school.

His most recent judicial performance ratings are from 2016, and show that he was unanimously approved as meeting performance standards.

Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) noted that she met with Rash this past April and praised his nomination. “Judge Rash is a highly respected judge on the Pima County Superior Court and will make an excellent federal judge. With the huge caseloads in Arizona federal courts, it is important that his confirmation take place quickly.”

Rash's nomination will go to the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing and a vote, before being considered by the full Senate.

Arizona's Law will continue to follow the confirmation process, and will update this article as warranted.

(A continuing thank you to Judicial Nominations Blog.)

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"AZ Law" airs on non-profit Sun Sounds of Arizona, a statewide reading service that provides audio access to printed material for people who cannot hold or read print material due to a disability. 

If you know someone who could benefit from this 24/7 service, please let them know about member-supported Sun Sounds. And, YOU can donate or listen here.

"AZ Law" can also be downloaded and subscribed to in all major podcast stores - iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Podbean, etc.