Arizona Case Commentaries

Vacated Dependency Findings Still Supply Probable Cause Bar to WICP Absent “Fraud, Perjury, or Other Corrupt Means”

Date: May 24, 2026

Vacated Dependency Findings Still Supply Probable Cause Bar to WICP Absent “Fraud, Perjury, or Other Corrupt Means” Stephens v. State, Supreme Court of the State of Arizona (May 22, 2026), No....

Immediate Post‑Murder Texts and Sexual Images as Proof of “Relishing” Under Arizona’s (F)(6) Heinous/Depraved Aggravator

Date: May 20, 2026

Immediate Post‑Murder Texts and Sexual Images as Proof of “Relishing” Under Arizona’s (F)(6) Heinous/Depraved Aggravator I. Introduction State of Arizona v. Edward Littleton McCauley is a capital...

Arizona’s Post-2021 Administrative Review Rule: Superior Courts Find Facts Independently, Yet Still Apply Substantial-Evidence Review; Appellate Courts Defer to Superior-Court Factfinding

Date: May 19, 2026

Arizona’s Post-2021 Administrative Review Rule: Superior Courts Find Facts Independently, Yet Still Apply Substantial-Evidence Review; Appellate Courts Defer to Superior-Court Factfinding 1....

Prosecutorial Error Is Objective: No Mental-State Element and Escalante Prong-Three “Profound Distortion” Governs Cumulative-Error Review

Date: May 19, 2026

Prosecutorial Error Is Objective: No Mental-State Element and Escalante Prong-Three “Profound Distortion” Governs Cumulative-Error Review Introduction State of Arizona v. Dimitri Polanco Romero...

A.R.S. § 12-821 Does Not Abrogate Nullum Tempus for Public-Entity Plaintiffs

Date: May 1, 2026

A.R.S. § 12-821 Does Not Abrogate Nullum Tempus for Public-Entity Plaintiffs Introduction In CHANDLER v. ROOSEVELT, the Arizona Supreme Court addressed whether the one-year statute of limitations in...

Third-Party Communications as “Directed At” Harassment When Intended to Provoke Adverse Consequences

Date: Apr 29, 2026

Third-Party Communications as “Directed At” Harassment When Intended to Provoke Adverse Consequences Introduction BRIANA HERNANDEZ v. LUIS ARTURO LOARCA is a domestic-relations-adjacent...

“Processing Operations” Use-Tax Exemption Turns on Marketability Transformation, Not Sale-vs.-Rental or the Taxpayer’s Overall Business

Date: Mar 7, 2026

“Processing Operations” Use-Tax Exemption Turns on Marketability Transformation, Not Sale-vs.-Rental or the Taxpayer’s Overall Business I. Introduction In 9W HALO OPCO, LP v. Arizona Department of...

“Processing Operations” Use-Tax Exemption Turns on Marketability Transformation, Not Sales vs. Rental, and Is Assessed by Discrete Operations

Date: Mar 4, 2026

“Processing Operations” Use-Tax Exemption Turns on Marketability Transformation, Not Sales vs. Rental, and Is Assessed by Discrete Operations Introduction In 9W HALO OPCO, LP v. Arizona Department of...

Pre-Screening Crisis Assessments with Nonconfidentiality Warnings Do Not Create a § 32-3283 Privileged Behavioral Health Professional-Client Relationship

Date: Feb 15, 2026

Pre-Screening Crisis Assessments with Nonconfidentiality Warnings Do Not Create a § 32-3283 Privileged Behavioral Health Professional-Client Relationship Introduction Case: IN RE: MH2023-004502...

Behavioral-Health Privilege in COT Screenings: Applying the Clements Attorney-Client Framework and Objective-Reasonableness Limits

Date: Feb 12, 2026

Behavioral-Health Privilege in COT Screenings: Applying the Clements Attorney-Client Framework and Objective-Reasonableness Limits I. Introduction In re: MH2023-004502 is an Arizona Supreme Court...

DCAC Enhancements Apply to Luring Even When the “Minor” Is Fictitious

Date: Feb 1, 2026

DCAC Enhancements Apply to Luring Even When the “Minor” Is Fictitious Case: STATE OF ARIZONA v. HON. MARNER/HANIFFA Court: Supreme Court of the State of Arizona Date: January 30, 2026 Disposition:...

DCAC Enhancement Applies to Luring Even When the “Minor” Is Fictitious (A.R.S. §§ 13-3554(C) & 13-705)

Date: Jan 31, 2026

DCAC Enhancement Applies to Luring Even When the “Minor” Is Fictitious (A.R.S. §§ 13-3554(C) & 13-705) Case: STATE OF ARIZONA v. HON. MARNER/HANIFFA (Ariz. Jan. 30, 2026) | Disposition: Court of...

Red-Light Violation Requires Intersection Entry; A.R.S. § 28-672 Cannot Attach When the Fatal Collision Occurs Before the Intersection

Date: Dec 13, 2025

Red-Light Violation Requires Intersection Entry; A.R.S. § 28-672 Cannot Attach When the Fatal Collision Occurs Before the Intersection Case: STATE OF ARIZONA v. HON. GORDON/OWEN (Ariz. Dec. 12, 2025)...

No Statewide Electorate Required: Knight v. Fontes and the Scope of Arizona’s “Free and Equal” Elections Clause

Date: Dec 9, 2025

No Statewide Electorate Required: Knight v. Fontes and the Scope of Arizona’s “Free and Equal” Elections Clause I. Introduction In Knight v. Fontes, CV-24-0220-T/AP (Ariz. Dec. 4, 2025), the Arizona...

State v. Alvarez‑Soto: Arizona Rejects Independent Appellate Review of Video Evidence and Upholds Traffic Stops Based on Objectively Reasonable Mistakes of Law

Date: Nov 29, 2025

State v. Alvarez‑Soto: Arizona Rejects Independent Appellate Review of Video Evidence and Upholds Traffic Stops Based on Objectively Reasonable Mistakes of Law I. Introduction The Arizona Supreme...

Non‑Signatories and Forum‑Selection Clauses in Arizona: Henderson v. Moskowitz/Sullivan Rejects the Closely Related Party Doctrine

Date: Nov 29, 2025

Non‑Signatories and Forum‑Selection Clauses in Arizona: Henderson v. Moskowitz/Sullivan Rejects the Closely Related Party Doctrine I. Introduction In Henderson v. Hon. Moskowitz / Sullivan, No....

Clear-and-Convincing Is a Standard, Not an Element: Henke v. Hospital Development of West Phoenix Recalibrates Causation Proof in Arizona Emergency-Room Malpractice

Date: Oct 23, 2025

Clear-and-Convincing Is a Standard, Not an Element: Henke v. Hospital Development of West Phoenix Recalibrates Causation Proof in Arizona Emergency-Room Malpractice Introduction In Henke v. Hospital...

Locked Bedrooms as “Residential Structures”: Arizona Supreme Court Recognizes Nested Castles and Limits Co‑Occupant Invitations in Justification Law

Date: Oct 8, 2025

Locked Bedrooms as “Residential Structures”: Arizona Supreme Court Recognizes Nested Castles and Limits Co‑Occupant Invitations in Justification Law Introduction In State of Arizona v. John Logan...

Delegation as Injury: Arizona Supreme Court Recognizes Legislative Standing to Challenge Voter‑Enacted Agency Powers and Clarifies VPA Limits in Montenegro v. Fontes

Date: Sep 30, 2025

Delegation as Injury: Arizona Supreme Court Recognizes Legislative Standing to Challenge Voter‑Enacted Agency Powers and Clarifies VPA Limits in Montenegro v. Fontes Introduction In Montenegro v....

Personal Waiver Required for Plea-Stage Ineffective Assistance Claims; Stewart’s Automatic Preclusion Disavowed

Date: Sep 24, 2025

Personal Waiver Required for Plea-Stage Ineffective Assistance Claims; Stewart’s Automatic Preclusion Disavowed Introduction In State of Arizona v. Michael Eugene Traverso, the Arizona Supreme Court...