Retired Arizona Supreme Court Justice James Moeller dies at 85

James Moeller, a retired Arizona Supreme Court Justice who served on the bench for 11 years and took a generation of Phoenix-area attorneys under his wing, has died. He was 85 and died July 16, according to a court spokesman.

Moeller was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in 1987 by then-Gov. Evan Mecham, and he retired from the bench in 1998. He served as Vice Chief Justice of the Court from 1992 to 1996. 

Moeller was appointed to the Court despite a dispute between the nominating committee and Mecham. Mecham wanted a new list of candidates to choose from, one that didn't include Moeller or the other two options on the shortlist, according to Phoenix Gazette archives.

About a year after his appointment, Moeller described himself as "very conservative" in judicial legislation, but liberal when it came to individual rights and freedoms, according to Gazette archives.

Prior to his Arizona Supreme Court appointment, Moeller was a Maricopa Superior Court judge for 10 years. Following his retirement, he served on the Commission on

Appellate Court Appointments and remained active as an arbitrator.

Moeller remembered as a 'generous' mentor

Former clerks remember Moeller as a careful thinker and a lively mentor.

"He was an incredibly generous man — generous with his time, generous with his experience," said Lee Stein, a Phoenix-based attorney, who clerked for Moeller from 1988 to 1989.

For about 30 years, former clerks said, he held a yearly luncheon with his past clerks.

"He was just vibrant and genuinely interested in us, in our careers and in our families," said Elizabeth Faulkner, a Scottsdale-based attorney who clerked for Moeller from 1990 to 1991.

Clerks said Moeller spent time with them and got to know them, and many continued to visit or have the occasional lunch with him years after their clerkships. 

"In that way, he trained an entire generation of lawyers," said Daniel Martin, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge who clerked for Moeller from 1991 to 1992. "He taught us how to think, he taught us how to write, how to behave, how to be good citizens."

Moeller is survived by his two daughters, three grandsons, and six nieces and nephews. His wife of 45 years, Nancy Moeller, died in 2007.

A visitation will be held Aug. 4 at Messinger Mortuary in Scottsdale. A celebration of life will be held Aug. 5 at the Phoenix Country Club.

Reach reporter Kyra Haas by email at kyra.haas@arizonarepublic.com or find her on Twitter @kc_haas.

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