Gov. Doug Ducey named Maricopa County Superior Court Judge James Beene to fill the a vacancy on the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One, created by the retirement of Judge Maurice Portley.

“Judge Beene has a strong and proven judicial record and has provided tremendous service to the citizens of Arizona at multiple levels of government,” Ducey said Monday. “His breadth of experience in civil, criminal, family and juvenile law will make him a valuable asset to the Court of Appeals. I am pleased to appoint Judge Beene to the Arizona Court of Appeals.”

Beene has served on the Maricopa County Superior Court for seven years, handling criminal, family and juvenile cases. Before that, he served as appeals and extraditions bureau chief at the Maricopa County attorney’s Office. He also worked in the appellate division of the state's attorney general’s office and served as a legislative analyst for the state senate's government reform committee.

Beene has volunteered much of his time with local nonprofit organizations to boost the number of foster families in Arizona.

Beene has received honors that include the Champions for Children Award from the Court Appointed Special Advocates program, the Law Angel Award from the Arizona attorney general’s office and the Angel in Adoption Award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.