Table Of Content■ The Arizona State Constitution
Th e Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States
G. Alan Tarr, Series Editor
Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers
University, serves as General Editor for this important new series which in its entirety will cover
each of the 50 states. Each volume of Th e Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of
the United States contains a historical overview of the state’s constitutional development, plus a
section-by-section analysis of the state’s current constitution. Other features included in the
volumes are the text of the state’s constitution, a bibliographic essay, table of cases, and index.
Th is series provides essential reference tools for those investigating state constitutional
development and constitutional law.
The Arizona
State Constitution
John D. Leshy
Foreword by Chief Justice Stanley G. Feldman
the oxford commentaries on the state
constitutions of the united states
G. Alan Tarr, Series Editor
1
1
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Copyright © 2011 by John D. Leshy
Previously published in 1993 by Greenwood Press
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Leshy, John D.
Th e Arizona State Constitution / John D. Leshy ; foreword by Stanley G. Feldman.
p. cm. — (Th e Oxford commentaries on the state constitutions of the United States)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-977933-8 ((hardback) : alk. paper)
1. Constitutions—Arizona. 2. Constitutional law—Arizona. 3. Constitutional history—Arizona.
I. Arizona. Constitution II. Title.
KFA28011911.A6 L467 2011
342.79102—dc22 2011002405
______________________________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
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■ C O N T E N T S
Series Foreword by G. Alan Tarr xix
Foreword by Chief Justice Stanley G. Feldman xxi
Introduction 1
P ART ONE ■ The History of the Arizona Constitution
Sett ing the Stage for the 1910 Convention 7
Th e 1910 Constitutional Convention: Th e Sett ing and the Delegates 12
How the Convention Operated 15
An Overview of the Contentious Issues 16
Th e Dominant Th emes of the Arizona Constitution 18
A Slight Detour on the Way to Statehood 25
Amendments to the 1910 Constitution 26
PART TWO ■ The Arizona Constitution and Commentary
Preamble 49
Article I: State Boundaries 51
Section 1. Designation 51
Section 2. Alteration 52
Article II: Declaration of Rights 53
Section 1. Fundamental Principles 54
Section 2. Political Power Inherent in People 55
Section 2.1. Victims’ Bill of Rights 55
Section 3. U.S. Constitution as Supreme Law of Land 5 7
Section 4. Due Process of Law 57
Section 5. Right of Petition and Assembly 60
Section 6. Freedom of Speech and Press 6 0
Section 7. Oaths and Affi rmations 62
Section 8. Right to Privacy 63
Section 9. No Irrevocable Privileges, Franchises, or Immunities 65
S ection 10. Self-incrimination; Double Jeopardy 6 6
Section 11. Open and Prompt Administration of Justice 69
Section 12. Liberty of Conscience and Religion;
No Public Money to Support Religion 70
v
vi ■ contents
Section 13. Equal Privileges and Immunities 72
Section 14. Habeas Corpus 76
Section 15. No Excessive Bail or Fines, or Cruel
and Unusual Punishment 76
Section 16. No Punishment by Corruption of
Blood or Forfeiture of Estate 79
Section 17. Eminent Domain; Just Compensation for Private
Property Taken; Public Use as Judicial Question 79
Section 18. No Imprisonment for Debt 83
Section 19. Bribery or Illegal Rebating; Witnesses;
Self-Incrimination No Defense 84
Section 20. Military Power Subordinate to Civil Power 85
Section 21. Free and Equal Elections 85
Section 22. Bailable Off enses 85
Section 23. Trial by Jury; Number of Jurors Specifi ed by Law 86
Section 24. Rights of Accused in Criminal Prosecutions 89
Section 25. No Bill of Att ainder, Ex Post Facto Law,
or Impairment of Contracts 9 6
Section 26. Bearing Arms 97
Section 27. Standing Army; Quartering of Soldiers 98
Section 28. Treason 98
Section 29. No Hereditary Emoluments, Privileges, or Powers;
No Perpetuities or Entailments 99
Section 30. Indictment or Information; Preliminary Examination 99
Section 31. No Law Limiting Damages for Death or Injury 100
Section 32. Constitutional Provisions Mandatory 100
Section 33. Reservation of Rights 101
Section 34. Industrial Pursuits by State and Municipal Corporations 102
Article III: Distribution of Powers 105
Article IV: Legislative Department 113
Part 1. Initiative and Referendum 113
S ection 1(1). Legislative Authority; Initiative and Referendum 114
Section 1(2). Initiative Power 115
S ection 1(3). Referendum; Emergency Measures; Eff ective Date 116
Section 1(4). Filing of Petitions 119
S ection 1(5). Majority Vote of Qualifi ed Electors 120
S ection 1(6). Veto and Repealing Power of Governor and Legislature 121
S ection 1(7). Number of Signatures Required 122
S ection 1(8). Applied to Local Governments 123
S ection 1(9). Form, Contents, and Verifi cation of Petitions 124
Section 1(10). Offi cial Ballot 125
contents ■ vii
Section 1(11). Publication of Measures 126
Section 1(12). Confl icting Measures 126
Section 1(13). Canvass of Votes; Proclamation 127
Section 1(14). Reservation of Legislative Power 127
Section 1(15). Self-Executing 127
Section 2. Penalty for Violations 131
Part 2. Th e Legislature 131
S ection 1. Senate; House of Representatives, Members;
Special Session upon Petition of Members 131
Section 2. Qualifi cation of Members 132
S ection 3. Sessions; Special Sessions on Call by Governor 133
Section 4. Disqualifi cation for Membership 134
S ection 5. Ineligibility of Members for Other Offi ces 134
Section 6. Privilege From Arrest and Civil Process 1 35
Section 7. Freedom of Debate 135
Section 8. Organization; Offi cers; Rules of Procedure 136
Section 9. Quorum; Att endance; Adjournment 136
Section 10. Journal of Proceedings; Roll Call 136
S ection 11. Disorderly Behavior; Expulsion of Members 136
S ection 12. Procedure on Bills; Approval or
Disapproval by Governor 137
S ection 13. Single Subject and Title of Bills 137
S ection 14. Limitation on Legislation by Reference 139
Section 15. Passage by Majority 139
S ection 16. Members’ Right to Protest 140
S ection 17. Extra Compensation Prohibited; Adjustment of
Compensation During Term of Offi ce 140
Section 18. Suits Against State 142
S ection 19. No Local or Special Laws in Certain Categories 1 43
S ection 20. Appropriations Bills; One Subject 145
S ection 21. Term Limits of Members of State Legislature 146
Section 22. [repealed] 147
S ection 23. No Special Transportation Arrangements
by Public Offi cers 147
Section 24. Enacting Clause of Bills; Initiatives 148
Section 25. Continuation of Governmental
Operations in Emergency 148
Article V: Executive Department 149
Section 1. Term Limits on Executive Department
State Offi cers; Term Lengths; Election; Residence
and Offi ce at Seat of Government; Duties 149
Section 2. Eligibility to State Offi ces 151
viii ■ contents
Section 3. Governor; Commander-in-Chief 152
Section 4. Governor; Powers and Duties 152
Section 5. Reprieves, Commutations, and Pardons 153
Section 6. Death, Resignation, Removal or
Disability of Governor; Succession to Offi ce;
Impeachment; Absence From State or
Temporary Disability 154
Section 7. Presentation of Bills to Governor;
Approval or Veto; Line-item Veto in
Appropriation Bills; Inapplicability of
Veto to Referred Bills 155
Section 8. Vacancies in Offi ce 158
Section 9. Powers and Duties of Other State Offi cers 159
Section 10. [repealed] 160
Section 11. Canvass of Election Returns for
State Offi cers; Certifi cates of Election 160
Section 12. Commissions of Offi cers 161
Section 13. Compensation of Elective State Offi cers;
Commission on Salaries for Elective State Offi cers 161
Article VI: Judicial Department 165
Section 1. Judicial Power; Courts 166
Section 2. Supreme Court; Composition;
Transaction of Business 166
Section 3. Supreme Court; Administrative Supervision;
Chief Justice 167
Section 4. Supreme Court; Term of Offi ce 168
Section 5. Supreme Court; Jurisdiction; Writs; Rules;
Habeas Corpus 168
Section 6. Qualifi cations of Justices 172
Section 7. Supreme Court; Administrative Staff 172
Section 8. Supreme Court; Publication of Opinions 172
Section 9. Intermediate Appellate Courts 173
Section 10. Superior Court; Number of Judges 173
Section 11. Superior Court; Presiding Judges; Duties 174
Section 12. Superior Court; Term of Offi ce 174
Section 13. Superior Court; Composition; Salaries;
Judgments and Proceedings; Process 175
Section 14. Superior Court; Original Jurisdiction 176
Section 15. Superior Court; Proceedings Aff ecting Children 177
Section 16. Superior Court; Appellate Jurisdiction 179
Section 17. Superior Court; Conduct of Business;
Trial Juries; Jury Trial; Grand Juries 179
contents ■ ix
Section 18. Superior Court; Writs 181
Section 19. Superior Court; Service of Judge in
Another County 181
Section 20. Retirement and Service of Retired
Justices and Judges 181
Section 21. Superior Court; Speedy Decisions 182
Section 22. Superior and Other Courts; Qualifi cations of Judges 182
Section 23. Superior Court; Clerk 183
Section 24. Superior Court; Court Commissioners,
Masters and Referees 184
Section 25. Style of Process; Conduct of Prosecutions in
Name of State 184
Section 26. Oath of Offi ce 184
Section 27. Charge to Juries; Reversal of Causes
for Technical Error 185
Section 28. Justices and Judges; Dual Offi ce Holding;
Political Activity; Practice of Law 187
Section 29. [repealed] 188
Section 30. Courts of Record 188
Section 31. Judges Pro Tempore 189
Section 32. Justices of the Peace and Inferior Courts;
Jurisdiction, Powers and Duties;
Terms of Offi ce; Salaries 189
Section 33. Change by Legislature in Number of
Justices or Judges; Reduction of Salary
During Term of Offi ce 190
Section 34. Absence of Judicial Offi cer From State 191
Section 35. Continuation in Offi ce; Continued Existence
of Offi ces; Application of Prior Statutes and Rules 191
Section 36. Commission on Appellate Court Appointments
and Terms, Appointments and Vacancies
on Commission 192
Section 37. Judicial Vacancies and Appointments;
Initial Terms; Residence; Age 196
Section 38. Declaration of Candidacy; Form of
Judicial Ballot, Rejection and Retention;
Failure to File Declaration 199
Section 39. Retirement of Justices and Judges; Vacancies 200
Section 40. Option for Counties With Less Th an
Two Hundred Fift y Th ousand Persons 201
Section 41. Superior Court Divisions; Commission on
Trial Court Appointments; Membership; Terms 201
Section 42. Retention Evaluation of Justices and Judges 204
