Maria Elena Cruz is Gov. Katie Hobbs' first appointment to the Arizona Supreme Court, a pick that earned praise from both sides of the political aisle. Catch up quick: Before her appointment yesterday, Cruz was a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Maria Elena Cruz, a state appeals court judge, is the first Latina and first Black Arizonan to serve on the state’s most influential bench.

Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday placed the first Black and Hispanic woman on the Arizona Supreme Court. The governor chose Maria Elena Cruz, now a judge on the Court of Appeals, from among the five names submitted by the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. By law, Hobbs was required to choose from that list.