The supreme court is the highest court in Arizona and has administrative responsibility over all other courts in the state. The five supreme court justices, appointed by the governor for staggered six-year terms, choose a chief justice and vice-chief justice to preside over the court.
The court of appeals, established in 1964, is organized in two geographical divisions which together have 22 judges. Appeals court judges are appointed for terms of six years.
The superior court is the general trial court of the state, and there must be at least one superior court judge in every Arizona county. In 1999 there were 136 superior court judges, plus 2 part-time judges, in the state's 15 counties. In counties with populations over 150,000, superior court judges are appointed by the governor; they hold office for terms ending 60 days following the next regular general election after expiration of a two-year term. Those seeking retention run at the next general election on a nonpartisan ballot. In counties with populations of under 150,000, superior court judges are elected by nonpartisan ballot to four-year terms.
Counties are divided into precincts, each of which has a justice court. Every incorporated city and town has a police court. The jurisdiction of justice courts and police courts is limited to minor civil and criminal cases. Local judges are elected for terms of four years.
According to the FBI Crime Index of 1998, Arizona had a crime rate of 6,077.4 per 100,000 population, including a total of 28,675 violent crimes and 293,874 property crimes in that year. As of June 2001, federal and state institutions held 27,136 prisoners, an increase of 3.2% over the previous year. Arizona had an incarceration rate of 478 per 100,000 population.
In 2003, 124 prisoners were under sentence of death. Arizona has executed 22 prisoners since 1976.