The Arizona Supreme Court has elected Vice Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch as the state high court's next chief justice.
Berch will replace current Chief Justice Ruth V. McGregor as chief justice when McGregor retires July 1.
McGregor announced her retirement plans earlier this week during her State of the Judiciary address to the Legislature.
Justice Andrew D. Hurwitz will replace Berch as vice chief justice.
Then-Gov. Jane Hull appointed Berch, a Republican, to the Supreme Court in 2002. Then-Gov. Janet Napolitano appointed Hurwitz, a Democrat, to the court in 2003.
The court announced the leadership moves Thursday, one day after it issued a unanimous decision that two private school voucher programs are unconstitutional.
