By Lauren Castle | Arizona Republic
High-profile Maricopa County prosecutor Juan Martinez will no longer be handling death-penalty cases.
Chief Deputy Rachel Mitchell announced in a statement late Tuesday that she transferred Martinez out of the capital litigation bureau and into the auto theft division.
“Given the Arizona Bar proceedings involving Mr. Martinez, I felt it was important to assign him a caseload that would be more flexible and allow him to take time when needed to focus on resolving these complaints,” Mitchell stated.
Mitchell is filling in as Maricopa County attorney after Gov. Doug Ducey appointed Bill Montgomery to the Arizona Supreme Court. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is in the process of selecting an interim county attorney.
Martinez will continue to be the lead prosecutor on cases that are currently in trial or in pending remand, according to the County Attorney’s Office.
