Gov. Katie Hobbs is following through on an executive ordershe made last month to establish a Death Penalty Independent Review Commissioner.
She announced Friday that retired Judge David Duncan has been appointed to the position.
Prior to his retirement, Duncan served as a federal magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for 17 years.
He’s presided over cases tied to Arizona’s corrections system, including a class-action case challenging the constitutionality of the state’s prison health care.
He’ll conduct an independent review of Arizona’s execution practices and provide a report to both Hobbs and the attorney general with recommendations for improvement.
In a statement Friday, Hobbs said: “Arizona has a history of mismanaged executions that have resulted in serious concerns about [the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry]’s execution protocols and lack of transparency."
