During Montgomery's tenure, the county attorney's office gained national recognition for its Restitution Specialist and Sex Assault Backlog programs. From 2010-2015, under Montgomery, Maricopa County sought a higher ratio of death sentences than 99.5 percent of counties in the United States. Montgomery has called for formal written protocols to address use of force incidents and serves as the Arizona State Director for the National District Attorneys Association. In August 2019, attorneys for Jodi Arias filed an ethics complaint against Montgomery, claiming he covered up misconduct and harassment by the lead prosecutor on the case.
Political views
In 2015, Montgomery refused to follow a state law and provide legal assistance for a gay couple who were adopting, even after a federal judge ruled that Arizona’s law banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Montgomery later lobbied the state legislature to repeal the statute requiring that adopting couples receive free legal help, but Governor Ducey vetoed the legislation. Montgomery has been a leading opponent of cannabis reform efforts in the state of Arizona. He has made a number of controversial comments on the subject, including telling a military veteran who spoke in support of legalization: "I have no respect for you... because you're an enemy." He has also sought to overturn the state's medical cannabis law that was approved by voters in 2010. Montgomery has lobbied against criminal justice and sentencing reform, including a 2017 bill that reformed the state's civil asset forfeiture policies.
In 2006, Montgomery ran for Arizona Attorney General, losing to incumbent Terry Goddard.
Maricopa County Attorney
In the 2010 special election to replace Andrew Thomas who resigned to run for Arizona Attorney General, Montgomery defeated interim county attorney Rick Romley in the Republican Primary. Montgomery went on to defeat Libertarian Michael Kielsky in the general election. Montgomery won election to a full term in 2012 in a rematch against Kielsky. He won re-election again in 2016 against Democrat Diego Rodriguez.
Arizona Supreme Court appointment
In March 2019, Montgomery applied for an appointment to a vacancy in the Arizona Supreme Court. The commission did not pass Montgomery's name to the governor, which is required for a judicial apportionment, citing "concerns over the pattern of misconduct at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and a lack of relevant professional experience". In June 2019, Montgomery applied for a second vacancy on the Arizona Supreme Court. After Governor Doug Ducey replaced several members of the state judicial nominating commission, Montgomery's name was sent to the governor, who selected him for the supreme court seat on September 4, 2019. Montgomery was sworn into office in a private ceremony on September 6, 2019.
